Tsunami warnings after magnitude 7.8 quake strikes off Philippines

 A warning centre says tsunami waves are possible 'within the next three hours' along the coasts of the Philippines, Indonesia, Palau, Taiwan and Papua New Guinea.

The offshore quake hit at a depth of 35km off the island of Mindanao. (MetMalaysia pic)

MANILA:

A 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck off the southern coast of the Philippines on Monday, the US Geological Survey said, prompting a regional warning centre to issue a tsunami alert.

The offshore quake hit at a depth of 35km about 24km west of Mindanao’s Sarangani province, USGS said.

Videos posted to Facebook showed a shopping centre with a Jollibee fast food restaurant collapsing into rubble in the province’s General Santos City, while a building on a local school campus crumpled in another.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said in a notice that tsunami waves were possible “within the next three hours” along the coasts of the Philippines, Indonesia, Palau, Taiwan and Papua New Guinea.

According to the Malaysian meteorological department (MetMalaysia), tremors could be felt in the areas around Tawau and Semporna in Sabah.

“The department is monitoring developments related to this event,” MetMalaysia said in a post on X.

Japanese authorities issued a tsunami advisory for swathes of its Pacific coast, projecting waves of up to one metre to hit different regions from 11.30 am local time (10.30 am Malaysian time).

In Mindanao’s capital Davao City, a local disaster official said only that authorities were monitoring the situation and would post updates on social media. - FMT