7.8 magnitude quake hits southern Philippines\

A significant 7.8-magnitude quake occurred off the southern Philippine island of Mindanao on Monday, prompting officials to issue tsunami warnings, with no deaths or severe damage reported initially.

Tsunami warnings were issued in the Philippines and adjacent Indonesia and by the US Tsunami Warning System, with inhabitants in coastal areas told to move to higher ground.

DZBB radio, which is broadcasting from the Philippine city of General Santos around 15 km (9.3 miles) from the epicentre, reported falling furniture, damage to televisions and other equipment as the area experienced aftershocks and many evacuated their homes to seek safety.

The General Santos disaster agency said aftershocks were continuing and authorities were evaluating reports of damage and some casualties.

Local disaster ​chief Rene Punzalan said power and telecommunications were out and school lessons were cancelled in the Philippines’ Sarangani province near the epicentre. A damage assessment was ongoing, with no reports yet of any collapsed buildings, he said.

PHILIPPINES: DISASTER RESPONSE IN PROGRESS

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr stated authorities were fast-tracking coordination of the catastrophe response.“The national government is moving and we will not leave Mindanao behind,” Marcos stated in a statement.

The Philippines and Indonesia are struck by hundreds of quakes annually and reside on tectonically complicated areas of the “Pacific Ring of Fire”, a seismically active belt reaching from South America to the Russian Far East.

Philippine agency Phivolcs warned of damage and tsunami waves above one metre (yard) which could persist for several hours. So far, the geophysics agency BKMG of Indonesia stated waves of 0.19 m (8 inches) had been measured.

The police building suffered some cracks following the quake, which happened during their flag-raising ceremony, several individuals fainted’, said Benjie Ancheta, police chief of Alabel town in Sarangani.This is the most powerful earthquake we’ve had,” Ancheta told Reuters via phone.

COASTAL AREAS EVACUATED CONTINUE TO BE EVACUATED

The 7.8 magnitude ​quake occurred at a ⁠depth of 10 km (6.2 miles), the German Research Centre ​for Geosciences stated. It had given a magnitude of 8.2.

Indonesia’s geophysics agency measured the quake at magnitude 7.7, while the Philippines’ put it at 7.0.

Witnesses in the Indonesian city of Manado in the north ​and residents and officials in the southern Philippines claimed they felt the tremor powerfully.

A representative for Indonesia disaster mitigation agency said so far there were no reports of damage.

Arlene Hollero, disaster chief of Maasim town in the Sarangani province of the Philippines, said their evacuation was under process in coastal villages and there were no recorded injuries so far.

Water drained soon after the quake, but the seas were typical so far, she said. A bridge had minor cracks and a shrine with a giant cross toppled, she added.“It’s a disaster,” Hollero told Reuters via phone.