A powerful 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck offshore in the southern Philippines on Monday morning, prompting authorities to issue tsunami warnings for several coastal areas and order immediate evacuations.
According to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS), the tectonic earthquake occurred at 7:37 a.m. local time at a depth of 33 kilometres. The epicentre was located about 32 kilometres southwest of Maasim town in Sarangani province on Mindanao Island.
PHIVOLCS issued tsunami warnings for nine coastal provinces and advised residents in affected areas to move to higher ground or farther inland as a precaution. Authorities said the first tsunami waves were expected to arrive later in the morning and could continue for several hours.
Local media reported power outages and damage to some buildings in areas closest to the epicentre. Strong tremors were also felt across neighbouring provinces.
There were no immediate reports of casualties or major destruction in the Philippines or neighbouring Indonesia. However, officials said communities near the epicentre experienced intense shaking.
The earthquake occurred off the coast of Mindanao, the Philippines’ second-largest island, located in one of the world’s most seismically active regions.
The Philippines frequently experiences earthquakes due to its position along the Pacific Ring of Fire, a vast zone of tectonic activity known for frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
Meanwhile, Indonesia’s meteorological agency issued an early tsunami warning for parts of the country’s northeastern coastal regions following the earthquake in the southern Philippines. Officials said monitoring efforts were underway to assess any potential impact.
