Strong 7.6 magnitude earthquake strikes off southern Philippines, tsunami warning issued

The Phivolcs agency warned of damage and aftershocks after the strong offshore quake, which struck in waters off Manay town in Davao Oriental in the Mindanao region

An earthquake of magnitude 7.6 struck offshore in the southern Philippines on Friday, the country's seismology agency said, with a tsunami warning issued and people in nearby coastal areas urged to evacuate to higher ground.

The Phivolcs agency warned of damage and aftershocks after the strong offshore quake, which struck in waters off Manay town in Davao Oriental in the Mindanao region. It said the quake happened at a depth of 10 km (6 miles).

The agency warned people living in coastal towns in the central and southern Philippines to immediately evacuate to higher ground or move further inland.

There were no immediate reports of damage.

Phivolcs said wave heights of up to more than one metre above normal tides could be expected in the next two hours.

The European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre put the magnitude at 7.4 and at a depth of 58 km (36 miles).

The U.S. Tsunami Warning System also issued a tsunami threat, saying hazardous tsunami waves are possible for coasts located within 300 km (186 miles) of the earthquake's epicenter.