Mindanao hit by earthquake, tsunami warning withdrawn

MANILA: A strong earthquake of 6.9 magnitude struck off the southern Philippine island of Mindanao, raising fears of dangerous tsunami waves across the region but after about two hours, the tsunami warning was withdrawn.

There were no reports of casualties or damage from the earthquake, which the US Geological Survey (USGS) said struck 193km east of the Philippine city of General Santos, at a depth of 60km yesterday.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center initially said “hazardous tsunami waves” were possible within 300km of the epicentre”, along the coasts of the Philippines, Indonesia and the Pacific island nation of Palau.

But about two hours after the quake struck, the centre said there was no longer a tsunami threat. The USGS initially said the magnitude of the quake was 7.2 but later downgraded it to 6.9.

Residents of the southern Philippines said the earthquake lasted about a minute and people rushed out of buildings but there had been no major damage.

“I was at the front desk and saw the chandeliers swaying,” Jonna Ramos, who works at the Anchor Hotel in General Santos said, adding that all guests and staff had left the building but later went back in.

Indonesian media also said there were no reports of damage.

Meanwhile, it was reported that four people were killed in landslides and thousands of others evacuated from their homes after a storm swept through the central Philippine islands yesterday, officials said.

Three members of a family were buried in a landslide in Legazpi City south-east of Manila while a woman was crushed by another landslide in Bulan town as heavy rains brought by the storm loosened the earth, the government’s office of civil defence said.

Almost 12,000 people were also evacuated from their homes in the Bicol region after the low pressure area, locally named “Usman”, hit the eastern side of the country yesterday, the office said. — Agencies