A large earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.6 struck the Philippines on Saturday night.
The epicenter of the earthquake occurred off the coast of the island of Mindanao, in the southern Philippines.
The earthquake occurred at 10:37 p.m. at a depth of 20 miles, according to the United States Geological Survey.
Videos and photographs on X showed terrifying scenes in which people appeared to huddle in hotel and restaurant lobbies with wobbly tables.
People evacuate after a 7.6 magnitude earthquake in Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur, Philippines. Via REUTERS
CCTV footage from inside a church in the city of Surigao showed that it was beginning to collapse.
Many fled to evacuation centers.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center initially said it expected tsunami waves to hit the southern Philippines and parts of Indonesia, Palau and Malaysia, but later announced that the tsunami threat was not as serious as originally feared.
Filipinos gathered at an evacuation center on Saturday night after a 7.6 magnitude earthquake hit the Philippines on Saturday night. via REUTERS People gathered in the street after the earthquake in Hinatuan. Hinatuan LGU/Handout via REUTERS
“Based on all available data,” the US Tsunami Warning System announced, “the tsunami threat from this earthquake has now passed.”
Teresito Bacolcol, director of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, told The Associated Press that residents along the coast of the southern provinces of Surigao del Sur and Davao Oriental were advised to immediately evacuate to higher ground or move further. inland.
The Philippines frequently experiences earthquakes and volcanic eruptions because it is located on the so-called Pacific “Ring of Fire,” an arc of seismic faults around the ocean.
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Source: vtt.edu.vn