KABUL (Pajhwok): A powerful earthquake has struck the Philippines, causing structural damage and prompting tsunami warnings across parts of Asia.
A magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck offshore near the southern Philippine island of Mindanao shortly before 7:40 a.m. local time on Monday, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).
The quake was followed by a series of aftershocks lasting for more than an hour, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) said.
Footage shared on official social media platforms showed a three-storey building housing a Jollibee restaurant collapsing amid a thick cloud of dust in General Santos City, startling nearby residents, Al Jazeera reported.
Additional images indicated widespread structural damage, including shattered windows and partially collapsed roofs.
The Philippine seismology agency said General Santos City, in the Soccsksargen region, experienced a “very strong” intensity level 7 tremor on its internal scale.
Authorities have not yet confirmed casualty figures.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos said emergency response agencies had been mobilised, including the Office of Civil Defence and the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.
He urged residents to strictly follow official advisories due to the ongoing tsunami threat.
“To our kababayans in the affected provinces, please heed the tsunami warning. Move to higher ground immediately. Do not wait. Your life is more important than anything left behind,” Marcos said.
He also announced the suspension of classes across several provinces in Mindanao for the day.
The US-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center warned that tsunami waves of up to 3 metres (9.8 feet) could impact coastal areas of the Philippines, while waves of up to 1 metre (3.3 feet) were possible in parts of Indonesia and Malaysia.
The US National Tsunami Warning Center, which initially issued a higher magnitude estimate before revising it to 7.8, said there was no tsunami threat to the coastal areas of the United States.
Meanwhile, authorities in Japan, the Philippines, and Indonesia have issued warnings of potentially hazardous waves and urged residents in low-lying coastal areas to evacuate to higher ground.
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