Manila: A powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 7.4 struck off the southern Philippines on Friday, killing at least two people and causing structural damage in several towns near the epicenter. Authorities warned of strong aftershocks even as initial tsunami alerts were lifted later in the day.
According to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS), the undersea quake struck in waters off Manay, a coastal town in Davao Oriental province, at a depth of 23 kilometers.
The tremor initially triggered tsunami warnings for areas within 300 kilometers of the epicenter, including parts of Indonesia, but these were later canceled after no significant sea-level rise was detected.
Karlo Puerto, a civil defense official in Mati City, confirmed two deaths, adding that assessments were ongoing. “We are still verifying reports from nearby communities,” Puerto said. Local authorities reported damage to homes, churches, bridges, and roads in several areas of Davao Oriental, while communication and power interruptions briefly disrupted rescue coordination.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said the government was working continuously to assist affected residents. “We are working around the clock to ensure that help reaches everyone who needs it,” he said in a statement, adding that search and rescue teams would be deployed as soon as conditions were deemed safe.
PHIVOLCS warned residents to remain alert for aftershocks that could reach magnitudes of up to 6.4. The agency also advised people to stay away from coastlines and unstable structures while emergency assessments continue.
In Indonesia’s nearby Sulawesi island, footage showed fishing boats returning to shore and children playing on beaches where the water had briefly receded before normalizing.
The Philippines, located along the Pacific ‘Ring of Fire,’ is one of the most seismically active regions in the world, recording hundreds of tremors each year. Friday’s quake was among the strongest in recent memory, coming just two weeks after a magnitude 6.9 offshore earthquake near Cebu killed 74 people, the deadliest in more than a decade.
