- A strong earthquake of magnitude 7.8 hit the Philippine island of Mindanao at night.
- The earthquakes caused buildings to collapse, power outages and school closures.
- The earthquake had its epicenter near the city of Burias at a depth of thirty-five kilometers.
A strong earthquake with a magnitude of 7.8 hit the region of the island of Mindanao in the south of the Philippines on Monday night. After it, they issued a tsunami warning for some coasts in the region. The earthquakes claimed at least one victim, informs TASR according to AP, AFP and DPA agencies.
After the earthquake, power outages were reported and residents were urged to move quickly to the safety of higher ground. Local media reported that several buildings have collapsed in the affected region and schools will remain closed. A police official in the city of General Santos told AFP that at least one person was killed and four others were injured.
The epicenter was located 24.7 kilometers southwest of the city of Burias, and the tremors came from a depth of 35 kilometers, USGS data show. They happened at 7:37 a.m. local time (1:37 a.m. CET).
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) said that according to available data, waves of one to three meters high could hit the coast of the Philippines in the next three hours. while in Indonesia and Malaysia it could be waves up to one meter. The Japan Meteorological Agency has announced that a tsunami of up to one meter is forecast for various regions from 4:30 a.m. EST.
The Philippines is often affected by earthquakes and volcanic eruptions due to its location in the so-called A ring of fire encircling the Pacific Ocean. At the same time, about 20 typhoons and tropical storms affect the archipelago every year.
