A massive earthquake measuring 7.6 magnitude struck the Philippines on Friday, the country’s seismology agency said. The powerful quake triggered a tsunami warning and evacuation advisories for coastal areas.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said the offshore quake hit waters off Manay town in Davao Oriental, Mindanao, at a depth of 10 km.
The agency warned of possible damage and aftershocks.
Phivolcs urged residents in coastal areas of the central and southern Philippines to move to higher ground or further inland as a precaution.
There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage.
Meanwhile, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii said dangerous waves could occur within 186 miles of the quake’s epicentre.
Waves up to 3 meters high were possible along parts of the Philippine coast, with smaller waves expected in Indonesia and Palau.
The governor of the southern Philippine province of Davao Oriental said people panicked when the earthquake struck.
"Some buildings were reported to have been damaged," Reuters news agency quoted Edwin Jubahib as saying to local media. "It was very strong."
Meanwhile, videos are circulating on social media, showing fear and panic among people as the quake strikes.
Another footage taken at what seemed to be a fish rearing outlet, showed water in the glass containers and buckets shaking violently.
As a precaution, a tsunami warning was also issued in Indonesia for its northern Sulawesi and Papua regions, warning of waves as high as 50 cm hitting the country's shorelines.
Friday's powerful quake struck just two weeks after the Philippines’ witnessed the deadliest earthquake in over a decade, which killed 72 people on Cebu.
That earlier quake was magnitude 6.9 and also occurred offshore.
Source: India Today