7.4-Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Off Southern Philippines, Prompting Tsunami Warning

An offshore earthquake with a magnitude of 7.4 struck near the southern Philippines on Friday morning, prompting tsunami warnings and evacuations in coastal regions. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology reported that the quake occurred at 9:43 a.m. local time, approximately 62 kilometers southeast of Manay town in Davao Oriental province, at a depth of 10 kilometers.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Honolulu indicated that hazardous waves up to 3 meters above normal tides were possible within 300 kilometers of the epicenter, affecting parts of the Philippines, Indonesia, and Palau. Office of Civil Defense Deputy Administrator Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro IV advised residents in six nearby coastal provinces to evacuate to higher ground, stating that tsunami waves could arrive up to two hours after the earthquake.

The Philippines, located on the Pacific "Ring of Fire," is prone to seismic activity. This event follows a magnitude 6.9 earthquake on September 30 in Cebu province, which resulted in at least 74 fatalities and displaced thousands.