‘Shaking was so strong’: earthquake in Philippines triggers tsunami warning

The Phivolcs agency warned of damage and aftershocks after the strong offshore quake, which struck in waters off Manay town in Davao Oriental in the Mindanao region. It revised down the magnitude from an initial reading of 7.6 to 7.5, and put the depth of the quake at 20km (12 miles).

The agency warned people living in coastal towns in the central and southern Philippines to immediately evacuate to higher ground or move further inland, saying wave heights of up to more than one metre (three feet) above normal tides could be expected.

The US Tsunami Warning System also issued a tsunami threat, saying hazardous tsunami waves are possible for coasts located within 300km (186 miles) of the earthquake’s epicentre.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr said authorities were assessing the situation on the ground and search-and-rescue teams would be deployed when it was safe to do so.