A strong magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck off the southern Philippine island of Mindanao yesterday, raising fears of dangerous tsunami across the region, but warnings were withdrawn after about two hours.
There were no reports of casualties or damage from the earthquake, which the US Geological Survey said struck 193km east of the Philippine city of General Santos at a depth of 60km.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center initially said “hazardous tsunami waves” were possible within 300km of the epicenter,” along the coasts of the Philippines, Indonesia and the Pacific island nation of Palau.
However, about two hours after the quake struck, the center said there was no longer a tsunami threat.
The US Geological Survey initially said the magnitude of the earthquake 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 was 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, told reporters by telephone, 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.
Indonesia has been struck by two serious tsunamis this year. The first followed a magnitude 7.5 quake on the west coast of Sulawesi Island in September, and more than 2,000 people were killed.
The second tsunami struck on Saturday last week, when part of a volcanic island collapsed in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra islands, generating a tsunami that killed more than 400 people.
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