© Marco Bottigelli/Getty Images
The Philippines is preparing for a “destructive tsunami” after a powerful earthquake. (illustrative photo)
PHILIPPINES – A magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck the island of Mindanao in the southern Philippines in the middle of the evening on Saturday, December 2.
Since then, the authorities have called on the population to leave the coastal regions due to the risk of a “destructive tsunami”.
The earthquake struck at a depth of 32 km at 10:37 p.m. at a distance of about 21 km northeast of Hinatuan, the US Geological Survey (USGS) said.
“A destructive tsunami is expected, with wave heights posing a threat to life,” the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said on X.
He advised residents of Surigao Southern and Davao Oriental provinces to “immediately evacuate further inland or to higher areas.” Boat owners were urged to secure their boats.
Aftershocks, including one with a magnitude of 6.4, continued to shake the region, according to the USGS.
No injuries or damage were initially reported, but according to Hinatuan police officer Joseph Lamba, the earthquake was “very strong,” according to videos posted on X (Be careful, images may be offensive).
You cannot view this content because:
- By subscribing, you have opted out of cookies related to third-party content. You will therefore not be able to play our videos, which require third-party cookies to function.
- You are using an ad blocker. We recommend you disable it to access our videos.
If neither of these two cases apply to you, contact us at [email protected]. You cannot view this content because:
- By subscribing, you have opted out of cookies related to third-party content. You will therefore not be able to play our videos, which require third-party cookies to function.
- You are using an ad blocker. We recommend you disable it to access our videos.
If neither of these two cases apply to you, contact us at [email protected]. You cannot view this content because:
- By subscribing, you have opted out of cookies related to third-party content. You will therefore not be able to play our videos, which require third-party cookies to function.
- You are using an ad blocker. We recommend you disable it to access our videos.
If neither of these two cases apply to you, contact us at [email protected].
An earthquake that lasted “four minutes.”
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (OTWC) in Hawaii had also issued a warning but later announced it had been lifted. “As a result of this earthquake, there is no longer any threat of a tsunami,” the OTWC said in a message broadcast at 16:45 GMT.
The Philippine Institute of Seismology maintained its alert.
“Because of the tsunami warning, people are being evacuated,” he said, adding that 45,000 residents had been asked to leave their homes and many of them were trying to reach higher ground on foot or by car.
Dyl Constantino, 25, was on Siargo Island, northeast of Mindanao, at the time of the earthquake. “It was the longest and strongest earthquake I have ever experienced, it probably lasted almost four minutes,” he assured AFP. “We are all used to earthquakes, but this one was different because the doors were really shaking and we all panicked,” he added.
In Davao City, the coast is closely monitored. “The tide is still high and we don’t notice anything unusual,” said Anna Quinones, a natural disaster officer who monitors tsunami risk.
Earthquakes occur daily in the Philippines because the archipelago lies on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” a zone of intense seismic and volcanic activity that stretches from Japan to the Pacific Basin through Asia in the southeast.
Most are too weak to be noticed by humans. On November 17th, a magnitude 6.7 earthquake struck the island region of Mindanao, killing at least nine people.
See also on HuffPost:
You cannot view this content because:
- By subscribing, you have opted out of cookies related to third-party content. You will therefore not be able to play our videos, which require third-party cookies to function.
- You are using an ad blocker. We recommend you disable it to access our videos.
If neither of these two cases apply to you, contact us at [email protected].