The German Research Centre for Geosciences said on Monday that Tsunami warnings were issued after an earthquake of magnitude 7.8 struck off Mindanao in the southern Philippines. The quake occurred at a shallow depth of about 10 km.
The earthquake reportedly forced coastal evacuations and disrupted power and communications in areas near the epicentre. The German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) initially revised the quake’s strength from 7.3 to 8.2, before finally settling on a magnitude of 7.8.
Authorities in the Philippines, Indonesia and international monitoring agencies issued tsunami alerts following the quake. People living along vulnerable coastlines were urged to move to higher ground.
“We advise people to evacuate to higher grounds or go further inland,” Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) chief Teresito Bacolcol reportedly warned.
Tsunami alerts
PHIVOLCS warned that tsunami waves exceeding one metre above normal tide levels could hit affected coastal areas. They can continue for several hours. Along some Philippine coastlines, waves of up to three metres could be expected, according to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. On the other hand, waves of up to one metre could be seen in parts of Indonesia and Malaysia.
Indonesia’s geophysics agency issued tsunami warnings for coastal communities in the country’s northeast. Smaller waves could be expected in Taiwan, Japan, Guam, Papua New Guinea and several Pacific island territories.
