In the Philippines, five people died after a 7.8 magnitude offshore earthquake hit the southern part this morning. More than 200 people got injured due to the earthquake that also set off tsunami. The local authorities are still verifying the extent of the fatalities and damage.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said the tectonic earthquake occurred in the morning at a depth of 33 kilometers, with the epicentre 32 kilometers southwest of the coast of Maasim town in Sarangani Province on Mindanao Island, close to General Santos, with a population of seven lakh. Residents felt the earthquake tremors in Indonesia’s North Sulawesi and North Maluku provinces.
Philippines is one of the world’s most disaster-prone countries which is often hit by earthquakes and volcanic eruptions due to its location on the Pacific Ring of Fire, an arc of seismic faults around the ocean.
Meanwhile, Japan’s weather agency has issued advisories predicting tsunami in the coastal areas stretching from Ibaraki prefecture on the pacific coast to Okinawa.
The advisories were issued after a strong earthquake struck off the Philippines. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a warning of waves of up to 3 meters in the Philippines and up to one meter in Malaysia. People in those areas have been advised to stay away from coasts.