Magnitude 7.8 quake strikes southern Philippines, tsunami warning issued
A 7.8‑magnitude earthquake struck near General Santos City in Mindanao, prompting tsunami alerts for parts of the Philippines and neighboring countries.
A magnitude 7.8 earthquake hit the southern Philippines early Monday, with its epicenter located about 13 km (8 miles) southwest of General Santos City on Mindanao at a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles), according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology. The tremor was felt at 7:37 a.m. local time and caused power outages in the region.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center warned that waves up to 3 meters (10 feet) could affect some Philippine coasts, while heights of up to 1 meter (3 feet) were possible along parts of Indonesia and Malaysia. Smaller waves were also possible in Taiwan, Japan, Guam, Papua New Guinea and other western Pacific islands, but no threat was identified for Hawaii or the U.S. mainland.
"We advise people to evacuate to higher grounds or go further inland," said Teresito Bacolcol, head of the Philippine institute, urging residents in coastal areas to move to safety.
Aftershocks measuring as high as magnitude 6.1 were recorded, the U.S. Geological Survey reported. Residents in Indonesia’s North Sulawesi and North Maluku provinces also reported feeling the shaking. The Philippines, situated on the Pacific Ring of Fire, frequently experiences earthquakes and volcanic activity.