Philippines earthquake kills 15, prompts tsunami fears: All to know

A powerful magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck the southern Philippines off the island of Mindanao, prompting tsunami risks in several countries.  At least 15 people were feared dead as a result of the tremors.

Here is all we know about the earthquake and its immediate aftermath:

Where in the Philippines did the earthquake hit?

The quake hit early in the morning, shortly before 7:40am local time on Monday (23:40 GMT Sunday), according to the United States Geological Survey.

The epicentre was offshore, 32km (20 miles) west of Maasim in Sarangani province on the southern tip of the Philippines’ Mindanao island. The earthquake occurred at an estimated depth of 33km (21 miles).

Schools were reopening in the Philippines after a long break, and the tremors were felt strongly in a dozen provinces as far from the epicentre as 420km (261 miles) in the city of Manado on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi.

By late morning local time, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology had reported 138 aftershocks, the highest at a magnitude 6.7.

What do we know about the casualties and damage?

Philippine authorities were assessing the damage from the quake, with the office of civil defence seeking to verify initial reports that 15 people had been killed and 129 injured, mostly from falling debris.

The full extent of the damage is yet unclear.

Where are there tsunami risks?

Tsunami alerts were issued in the southern Philippines, northern Indonesia and the Malaysian state of Sabah on Borneo island. Japan’s meteorological agency issued an advisory and said a tsunami of 0.2 metres (8in) or lower had been observed, with some disruption to ferries and precautionary beach closures.

The US Tsunami Warning System said multiple countries could be affected and Australia too initially warned of potential tsunami waves on its northern coasts.

Witnesses in Indonesia’s Manado said they felt the quake strongly. Only minor damage was reported, according to Abdul Muhari, spokesperson for Indonesia’s disaster mitigation agency.

A tsunami with a wave height up to 0.75 metres (2.5ft) was detected in some regions in North Sulawesi, Indonesia, where people started moving to safer areas, including residents of the remote Sangihe Islands, among the closest to the Philippines.

“They are now evacuating to the higher ground… away from the coast, to avoid the potential tsunami,” resident Jufry Dalita said, according to state news agency Antara.

How are authorities in the Philippines responding?