A powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 7.4 struck offshore in the southern Philippines on Friday, prompting widespread tsunami warnings and urgent evacuation alerts across coastal regions.
The quake hit near Manay town in Davao Oriental, part of the Mindanao region, early in the morning, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs).
Authorities confirmed that at least one person was killed, while several homes, bridges, and buildings sustained damage. Phivolcs also warned residents about possible aftershocks in the coming hours.
The tsunami warnings triggered responses from multiple countries, including Indonesia and Palau. The U.S. Tsunami Warning System reported that hazardous waves could affect coastal areas within 300 kilometers of the quake’s epicenter. Earlier, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) said waves between one and three meters were possible, though later updates indicated that the tsunami threat in the Philippines had passed.
Local officials described the quake as one of the strongest in recent years. Richie Diuyen, a disaster officer in Manay, said it lasted 30 to 40 seconds, causing widespread panic. “We couldn’t stand properly. This is the strongest earthquake I’ve ever felt,” she said.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. assured citizens that search and rescue operations were being prepared and that authorities were assessing the damage. “We are working round the clock to ensure that help reaches everyone who needs it,” Marcos stated.
Phivolcs later revised the magnitude of the quake from 7.6 to 7.4, with a depth of 23 kilometers. Indonesia also issued tsunami warnings for its northern Sulawesi and Papua regions, while Palau was advised to stay alert for potential one-meter waves.
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The Philippines, located on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” experiences frequent seismic activity, with more than 800 earthquakes each year. This recent event came just two weeks after a deadly 6.9-magnitude quake in Cebu killed 74 people, highlighting the country’s ongoing vulnerability to natural disasters.
