Magnitude 7.5 quake strikes southern Philippines, tsunami warning issued

A powerful magnitude 7.5 offshore earthquake hit the southern Philippines on Friday, prompting tsunami warnings and evacuations of people in coastal areas of Mindanao.

The quake struck at 9:43 a.m. local time (0143 GMT), around 44 kilometres northeast of Manay in Davao Oriental province, at a depth of 20 kilometres, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs).

Initially recorded at magnitude 7.6, the tremor triggered a tsunami warning across parts of Mindanao, with authorities urging residents near the coast to move to higher ground.

Phivolcs warned that waves more than 1 metre above normal tide levels could hit coastal areas “within minutes to hours” and may be higher in enclosed bays and straits.

“These waves may continue for hours,” the agency said.

Local disaster risk offices in Davao Oriental, Davao de Oro, and surrounding provinces were placed on high alert as aftershocks and sea-level changes continued to be monitored.

The tremor was also felt in parts of the central Philippines, including Eastern Samar, Southern Leyte, and Leyte, where some buildings sustained cracks, local officials said.

No casualties have been reported so far.

The Philippines sits along the seismically active Pacific 'Ring of Fire' and regularly experiences earthquakes.

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