A strong magnitude-7.4 earthquake hit the southern Philippines on Friday, leading to tsunami alerts in the country, as well as in Indonesia and Palau. The earthquake occurred approximately 20 kilometers away from Manay in the Mindanao region at 9:43 am (0143 GMT), according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology warned of a potentially destructive tsunami with life-threatening wave heights along the nation’s east coast. Residents in coastal areas were urged to evacuate to higher ground or move further inland. The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecasted waves of up to three meters in the Philippines and one-meter-high waves in Palau and Indonesia.
While there were no immediate reports of casualties, Davao Oriental province, which includes Manay, was expected to have suffered damage, as reported by police officer Dianne Lacorda. Power and communication lines were disrupted, hindering authorities from assessing the extent of the potential damage in some regions.
Christine Sierte, a teacher in Compostela near Manay, described the intense shaking experienced during an online meeting. Ceilings collapsed in some offices, causing panic attacks and breathing difficulties among students, but no injuries were reported.
Local journalist Kath Cortez, based in Davao city, recounted the surprise of feeling the earthquake’s strength, which led her family to evacuate their home due to small cracks in the walls.
Simultaneously, a shallow 6.2 magnitude earthquake was reported by USGS southeast of Manus Island in Papua New Guinea. Another deep quake near Lae in Papua New Guinea earlier in the week caused no significant damage.
This recent earthquake in the Philippines occurred shortly after a 6.9 magnitude quake claimed 74 lives and damaged thousands of homes in Cebu. The Philippines experiences frequent earthquakes due to its location along the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” known for its high seismic activity spanning from Japan through Southeast Asia and across the Pacific region.