Tsunami warning for Philippines and Indonesia after 7.6-magnitude earthquake strikes Mindanao

A tsunami warning has been issued for the Philippines and neighbouring regions of Indonesia after a powerful 7.6-magnitude earthquake hit the region on Mindanao on Friday morning.

The US Tsunami Warning System and Philippine seismology agency both issued tsunami warnings, saying hazardous tsunami waves were possible for coasts located within 300km (186 miles) of the earthquake’s epicentre in the southern Philippines.

The Philippine seismology office said damage and aftershocks were expected.

Footage shared on social media shows people crouching on the ground, bracing themselves on all fours to keep their balance as the ground shook violently beneath them. Motorcycles were knocked over by the force of the tremor.

People in Tagum city were also heard praying in videos posted on social media, saying “Save us, Lord,” as debris from a mall fell around them.

Dozens of patients at the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) were also shown fleeing the hospital building.

The governor of the southern Philippine province of Davao Oriental said people panicked when the earthquake struck.

“Some buildings were reported to have been damaged,” Edwin Jubahib told broadcaster DZMM. “It was very strong.”

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said authorities were assessing the situation on the ground, and search and rescue efforts were being prepared.

“We are working round the clock to ensure that help reaches everyone who needs it,” Marcos said.

The Philippine Phivolcs agency said the quake struck in waters off the town of Manay town in the Mindanao region at a depth of 10km.

Neighbouring Indonesia also issued a tsunami warning for its regions of North Sulawesi and Papua, according to its geophysics agency.

The strong earthquake hit just ten days after a deadly 6.9-magnitude earthquake hit Bogo City in Cebu province, which left 71 people dead. Aftershocks are still being felt in the area.

The Philippines sits on the Pacific “Ring of Fire” and experiences more than 800 quakes each year. The European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre put the quake’s magnitude at 7.4 and its depth at 58 km (36 miles).