An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.6 struck off the coast of the southern Philippine island of Mindanao
December 2, 2023, 10:16 a.m. ET
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MANILA, Philippines – A strong earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.6 struck off the coast of the southern Philippine island of Mindanao on Saturday evening and Philippine authorities issued a tsunami warning.
According to the US Geological Survey, the quake struck at 10:37 p.m. at a depth of 32 kilometers (20 miles). There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said it expected tsunami waves to hit the southern Philippines as well as parts of Indonesia, Palau and Malaysia due to the magnitude and location.
Teresito Bacolcol, head of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, told The Associated Press that his agency had advised residents along the coast of the southern provinces of Surigao del Sur and Davao Oriental to immediately evacuate to higher ground or move further inland pull.
Owners of boats in harbors, estuaries or shallow coastal waters off the two provinces should secure their boats and move away from the waterfront, the earthquake agency said in its tsunami warning. Boats already at sea should remain offshore in deep waters until further advice, it said.
Based on the strength of the quake, Bacolcol said a tsunami could hit one meter (3.2 feet) high, but the wave could be higher in closed bays, bays and straits.
Because of its location on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” an arc of seismic faults around the ocean, the Philippines, one of the most disaster-prone countries in the world, is subject to regular earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. In addition, the archipelago is hit by about 20 typhoons and storms every year.