A large earthquake with an initial magnitude of 7.6 hit the Philippines on Saturday night.
The epicenter was off the coast of Mindanao island in the southern Philippines.
The quake struck at 10:37pm at a depth of 20 miles, according to the US Geological Survey.
Videos and photos at X show terrifying scenes as people are seen shaking in hotel lobbies and in restaurants with swaying tables.
People evacuate after a 7.6 magnitude earthquake in Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur, Philippines. via REUTERS
CCTV footage of the interior of a church in Surigao City shows that it is starting to collapse.
Many fled to evacuation centers.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said it initially expected a tsunami wave to hit the southern Philippines and parts of Indonesia, Palau and Malaysia — but later announced that the tsunami threat was not as severe as originally feared.
Filipinos gathered at an evacuation center Saturday night after a 7.6 magnitude earthquake hit the Philippines Saturday night. via REUTERS People gather in the streets after the earthquake in Hinatuan. Hinatuan LGU/Circulation via REUTERS
“Based on all available data,” the US Tsunami Warning System announced, “the tsunami threat from this earthquake has now passed.”
Teresito Bacolcol, head of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, told The Associated Press that residents along the southern coast of Surigao del Sur and Davao Oriental province were advised to evacuate immediately to higher ground or move further inland.
The Philippines is prone to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions because it is on the so-called Pacific “Ring of Fire,” an arc of seismic faults around the ocean.
With Postal wire
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
