7.8 magnitude earthquake shakes part of southern Philippines. Tsunami possible for some coasts
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — A 7.8-magnitude earthquake shook parts of the southern Philippines early Monday and a tsunami was possible along some regional coasts.
Power outages were reported and people were asked to move to higher ground. No further information regarding damage or casualties has been obtained yet.
The epicenter was 13 kilometers (8 miles) southwest of the city of General Santos on the island of Mindanao and had a depth of 10 kilometers (6.2 miles), according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology. He was shot at 7.37am
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said tsunami waves of up to 3 meters (10 feet) were possible along some coasts of the Philippines. Waves of up to 1 meter (3 feet) were possible along some coasts of Indonesia and Malaysia.
Teresito Bacolcol, president of the Philippine institute, warned people living in coastal areas, “We advise people to evacuate to higher ground or move further inland.”
Smaller tsunami waves were possible in Taiwan, Japan, Guam, Papua New Guinea and some island countries and territories in the Western Pacific. PTWC said there was no threat to Hawaii or the American mainland coastline.
Citizens felt earthquake tremors in Indonesia’s North Sulawesi and North Maluku provinces.
Aftershocks of up to magnitude 6.1 followed, the US Geological Survey said. It measured the original earthquake at a depth of 55 kilometers (34 miles). Differences in measurements made by different institutions in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake are common.
The Philippines, one of the most disaster-prone countries in the world, is frequently exposed to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions due to its location on the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, which consists of seismic faults surrounding the ocean. The archipelago is also the target of approximately 20 typhoons and tropical storms each year.
