Deadly earthquake hits Philippines (VIDEOS)
At least two people have been killed in the southern part of the country, officials have said
A powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake hit off the southern Philippines on Friday, setting off tsunami warnings and forcing residents in coastal areas to flee to higher ground.
Officials said two people were killed in Mati City in the province of Davao Oriental. Several buildings sustained damage, roads cracked, and power outages were reported in affected districts.
The quake’s epicenter was located east of Manay in Davao Oriental at a depth of about 10km. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) and the US Tsunami Warning System warned nearby coasts of potential waves up to one meter or more above normal tides.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center extended warnings to regions within 300km of the epicenter, including parts of Indonesia. Most warnings in the Philippines were later withdrawn after only minor sea level fluctuations were observed.
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Local authorities urged residents to relocate to higher ground, assess building safety, and brace for aftershocks, which could potentially reach magnitude 6.4, according to Phivolcs.
The Philippines lies within the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” where tectonic boundaries make the archipelago prone to frequent seismic activity. This quake follows a deadly 6.9-magnitude earthquake in Cebu just days earlier, which killed at least 74 people and stretched emergency response capacities.