A powerful 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck the Mindanao region in southern Philippines on Monday, according to the United States Geological Survey, prompting tsunami warnings across the Philippines, Indonesia and Japan.
The earthquake occurred at about 7:37 a.m. local time at a depth of 35 kilometres (21.7 miles), the USGS said. There were no immediate reports of fatalities.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said the tremor struck off the coast of General Santos City in Sarangani province, located at the southern tip of Mindanao island.
Authorities issued tsunami alerts and urged residents in coastal communities to move to safer areas immediately.
The US Tsunami Warning System warned that tsunami waves between one and three metres above tide level could hit parts of the Philippines.
Images released by the local information office in General Santos City showed damaged buildings and collapsed sections of convenience stores following the quake.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said he has “directed all relevant government agencies to act immediately” to evacuate residents and start rescue work.
“To our kababayans [countrymen] in the affected provinces, please heed the tsunami warning. Move to higher ground now. Do not wait. Your life is more important than anything left behind,” he said in a statement.
Sarangani province, where much of the visible destruction has been reported, has an estimated population of about 580,000 people.
Benjie Ancheta, police chief of Alabel town in Sarangani, told Reuters that cracks appeared in the police station shortly after the quake struck during a flag-raising ceremony.
Ancheta said there were no immediate reports of casualties, although several people fainted due to the intensity of the shaking.
“This is the strongest earthquake we’ve experienced,” Ancheta told Reuters by phone.
Indonesia later issued a tsunami warning for parts of its northeastern coastline, while Japan also warned residents along its southern coast, stretching from Ibaraki Prefecture to Okinawa Prefecture.
The Philippines, Indonesia and Japan are all located along the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” a region known for frequent earthquakes and volcanic activity due to major tectonic fault lines.
Meanwhile, the US National Weather Service said there was no tsunami threat to Hawaii.
