Guwahati: A powerful 7.6-magnitude earthquake struck the southern Philippines late Thursday, shaking homes, toppling structures, and prompting brief tsunami warnings across coastal areas.
According to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), the quake was centered about 62 kilometers (38 miles) southeast of Manay town in the Mindanao region, at a depth of 22 kilometers (14 miles). Residents along the coast were urged to move inland or seek higher ground immediately after the tremor.
The U.S.-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) initially warned that waves up to 1–3 meters (3–10 feet) were possible in affected regions, including Indonesia’s Sulawesi and Papua. However, both the PTWC and Phivolcs later lifted their tsunami alerts after assessments showed no significant threat.
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Local officials reported casualties and extensive damage. Davao Oriental Governor Nelson Dayanghirang Sr confirmed that at least two people died when their homes collapsed. Richie Diuyen, a local disaster official, told Reuters that the quake lasted between 30 and 40 seconds, describing it as one of the most intense in recent memory.
The Philippines sits on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” a seismically active region that experiences more than 800 earthquakes annually. This latest quake comes just weeks after a 6.9-magnitude tremor on September 30, the deadliest in over a decade, which killed at least 74 people and displaced thousands, primarily in Cebu province.
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In addition to frequent earthquakes, the archipelago is also battered by about 20 typhoons and storms each year, making disaster preparedness a constant national priority.
