COURTESY USGS
A magnitude 7.6 earthquake, and several strong aftershocks, struck off the coast of the Philippines today.
MANILA>> A strong earthquake with an initial magnitude of 7. 6 struck the southern coast of the Philippines on Saturday, sending many villagers fleeing their homes in panic after the Philippine government issued a tsunami warning.
The quake struck at at a depth of 32 kilometers (20 miles), according to the U.S. Geological Survey. There were no immediate reports of major damage or casualties.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center first said that, given the magnitude and location, it expected tsunami waves to hit the southern Philippines and parts of Indonesia, Palau and Malaysia. But then it abandoned its tsunami warning.
In Japan, the government has issued evacuation orders in parts of Okinawa prefecture, adding the entire coastal area, affecting thousands of people.
Teresito Bacolcol, director of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, told The Associated Press that his company has pleaded with citizens on the southern coast of Surigao del Sur and Davao Oriental provinces to evacuate to upper floors or move inland.
Owners of boats in harbors, estuaries or shallow coastal waters off the two provinces should secure their boats and move away from the waterfront, the quake agency said in its tsunami warning. Boats already at sea should stay offshore in deep waters until further advised, it said.
Based on the magnitude of the quake, Bacolcol said a one-meter (3. 2-foot) tsunami could just hit, but the wave could be higher up in coves, bays and closed straits.
Villagers were fleeing their homes for cover around the city of Hinatuan and outlying areas of Surigao del Sur province, according to the government and the government’s crisis response agency, who said they could not immediately provide urgent details.
Photos posted on the Hinatuan government’s Facebook account show citizens fleeing upstairs at night on foot or in cars, trucks, motorcycles and tricycle taxis.
More than three hours after the quake, Bacolcol said no tsunami had hit the coast from his agency’s offices, adding that the government would continue to monitor.
The Philippines, one of the most disaster-prone countries in the world, is hit by earthquakes and volcanic eruptions due to its location on the Pacific’s “Ring of Fire,” an arc of seismic faults around the ocean. The archipelago is also affected by about twenty typhoons and storms every year.
Star-Advertiser contributed to this report.
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