Philippines: Several killed in powerful twin quake

The two powerful earthquakes which hit southern Philippines on Friday killed at least seven people, with authorities warning of aftershocks.

The first quake hit with a strong magnitude of 7.4, triggering a tsunami alert for coasts within 300 kilometers (186 miles) off the epicenter, which was in waters off the town of Manay in the province of Davao Oriental.

Several hours later, the second earthquake hit the same area, with a magnitude of 6.7, according to the US Geological Survey.

The casualties were mostly reported in towns and cities close to the epicenter.

Initial reports suggested damage to homes, buildings and bridges, the Reuters news agency cited an official in Manay as saying.

Those killed included three gold miners working in the mountains west of Manay. A shaft collapsed when the first tremor hit, the French AFP news agency cited rescue official Kent Simeon of Pantukan town as saying.

Another casualty fell when a wall collapsed in Mati city, with two others experiencing fatal heart attacks, city disaster official Charlemagne Bagasol told AFP.

Police said that one more victim was crushed by falling debris in Davao city, over 100 kilometers west of the epicenter.

The Philippines' seismology agency (Phivolcs) canceled the tsunami warning is issued after the magnitude 7.4 earthquake near the country's southern coast.

"Any effects due to the tsunami warning have largely passed," Phivolcs said in an advisory.

At least one person was killed when a concrete wall collapsed in Mati City, Ednar Dayanghirang, the regional director at the Office of Civil Defense, told DZMM radio.

Meanwhile, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said the damage was being assessed and rescue teams and relief operations were prepared and would be deployed when it was safe to do so.
 

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center has lifted its tsunami alert for the Philippines, Palau and Indonesia, hours after a magnitude 7.5 earthquake hit offshore in the southern Philippines.

"There is no longer a tsunami threat from this earthquake," it said.

 

Tsunami warnings have been issued following a powerful 7.5 magnitude earthquake off the southern Philippines.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) said the quake struck around 20 kilometers (12 miles away) from Manay in the Mindanao region at 9:43 a.m. (0143 GMT).

"Destructive tsunami is expected with life-threatening wave heights" on the archipelago nation's east coast, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology reported. 

Coastal residents in these areas "are strongly advised to immediately evacuate to higher grounds or move farther inland," it added.

The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said waves of up to three meters were forecast for threatened areas in the Philippines.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said authorities were assessing the situation, and said search-and-rescue teams would be deployed when it was safe to do so.

"We are working round the clock to ensure that help reaches everyone who needs it," Marcos said in a statement.

A tsunami warning was also issued in Indonesia for its northern Sulawesi and Papua regions, and the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center  said some places in Indonesia and the Pacific island nation of Palau could see waves of up to 1 meter.

DW is bringing you the latest on the strong 7.5 earthquake which occurred off the coast of the southern Philippines on Friday.

The quake is not only raising tsunami fears in the Philippines, but also in Indonesia and Palau.

Please follow along in our blog to find out more regarding the tsunami risk and how regional authorites are reacting to the threat.