Magnitude 7.4 Earthquake Strikes East of Mindanao Island, Philippines... Tsunami Warning Issued (Comprehensive)

Aftershocks Follow Major Quake... Tsunami Warning Issued for Neighboring Indonesia as Well

Location of Magnitude 7.4 Earthquake in the Philippines [Screenshot from the U.S. Geological Survey website. Reproduction and database prohibited.]

A magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck off the coast of Mindanao Island in southern Philippines, prompting a tsunami warning.

According to the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) on the 10th (local time), a magnitude 7.4 earthquake occurred at approximately 9:43 AM off the eastern coast of Mindanao Island.

The epicenter was located at 7.25 degrees North latitude and 126.69 degrees East longitude, with a focal depth of 53 km, according to EMSC.

However, a Philippine meteorological authority official reported to local radio that the focal depth was 10 km, according to Bloomberg News.

The earthquake's epicenter was 63 km northeast of Mati, a city on Mindanao Island with a population of approximately 105,000.

The Philippine capital, Manila, is located on Luzon Island in northern Philippines, and Davao, the largest city on Mindanao Island, has a population of about 1.7 million.

The Philippine meteorological agency issued a warning, stating that tsunami waves of 1 to 3 meters could occur along some coastlines following the earthquake.

Indonesia's Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) also issued tsunami warnings for the North Sulawesi and Papua regions following the major quake.

The U.S. Pacific Tsunami Warning Center stated that tsunamis could affect areas within 300 km of the epicenter.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology predicted that significant damage could occur due to aftershocks following this major earthquake.

Indeed, after the magnitude 7.4 earthquake, aftershocks of magnitude 5.9 and 5.6 occurred consecutively, according to EMSC and USGS. However, information regarding casualties and property damage has not yet been released.

The Philippines is located on the Pacific Ring of Fire, a region known for its high frequency of earthquakes, making it one of the most seismically active countries in the world.

According to EMSC, an average of 826 earthquakes occur in the Philippines annually over the past decade. Yonhap News