Philippines hit by powerful earthquake prompting tsunami warnings in Asia

A 7.8-magnitude earthquake has struck off the island of Mindanao in the Philippines, triggering tsunami alerts across Asia. The quake occurred shortly before 7:40am local time on Sunday, according to data from the United States Geological Survey.

Video footage posted on official social media channels showed a three-storey building that housed a Jollibees restaurant collapsing in General Santos City, Mindanao. Images also showed extensive damage to buildings, including smashed windows and caved-in roofs.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos has activated emergency agencies, including the Office of Civil Defence and the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council. He has urged people to follow government advisories regarding the risk of hazardous tsunami waves.

The US-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center has reported that tsunami waves as high as 3 metres could hit coastal areas of the Philippines, while waves of up to 1 metre are possible in parts of Indonesia and Malaysia. The US National Tsunami Warning Center has downgraded the quake’s magnitude from an earlier estimate of 8.2.

Officials in Indonesia, the Philippines, and Japan have issued alerts warning of possible hazardous waves and advising citizens in coastal areas to get to safety. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology has advised people in nine provinces to evacuate to higher ground or further inland.

The PHIVOLCS has also warned boat owners in harbors, estuaries, or shallow coastal water to secure their boats and move away from the waterfront. Boats already at sea are advised to stay offshore in deep waters until further advised.

Source: Al Jazeera