SRINAGAR: A powerful earthquake struck off the coast of Mindanao in the southern Philippines on Monday, prompting tsunami warnings in the Philippines and Indonesia as authorities and international monitoring agencies assessed the potential impact.
The German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) said the earthquake measured magnitude 8.2 and occurred at a depth of 10 kilometres. The agency had initially estimated the magnitude at 7.3 before revising it upwards.
Following the earthquake, the US Tsunami Warning System issued a tsunami threat notice, while the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center warned that tsunami waves could affect coastal areas across the region.
In the Philippines, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) estimated the earthquake at magnitude 7.0 and warned of possible damage as well as tsunami waves exceeding one metre. The agency said the waves could continue for several hours after the initial quake.
Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) estimated the earthquake’s magnitude at 7.7 and also issued a tsunami warning.
There were no immediate reports of major damage or fatalities in either the Philippines or Indonesia, although strong shaking was reported in areas closest to the epicentre.
Benjie Ancheta, police chief of Alabel town in Sarangani province in the southern Philippines, said cracks appeared in the local police station building shortly after the earthquake struck during a flag-raising ceremony.
He said there were no immediate reports of casualties, although several people fainted following the strong tremor.
According to Reuters, Ancheta described it as the strongest earthquake experienced in the area.
Residents in Manado, a city in northern Indonesia, also reported feeling intense shaking.
The earthquake struck offshore near Mindanao, the Philippines’ second-largest island, which is located in one of the world’s most seismically active regions.
Both the Philippines and Indonesia lie along the Pacific Ring of Fire, a vast zone of tectonic activity stretching from South America to the Russian Far East and known for frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
Authorities in the affected countries continued monitoring sea conditions and assessing any potential damage as tsunami warnings remained in place.
