Two powerful earthquakes struck off the coast of the southern Philippines on Friday, killing at least seven people and causing structural damage in towns near the epicentre. The first quake, of magnitude 7.4, hit waters off Manay in Davao Oriental province, prompting a tsunami alert for coasts within 186 miles (300km). A second quake of magnitude 6.8 struck the same area seven hours later, triggering another tsunami warning. The Philippine seismology agency, Phivolcs, advised people living near coastal areas to evacuate to higher ground or move further inland.
The deaths were reported in towns and cities near the epicentre, according to civil defence official Ednar Dayanghirang. Damage to homes, buildings and bridges was reported, including cracks in the Magsaysay Bridge in Butuan city. Schools suspended classes and evacuation orders were issued in affected areas. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said authorities were assessing the damage and preparing search and rescue efforts.
Footage on social media showed students fleeing classrooms, radio anchors leaving their seats and people crouching as the ground shook. Christine Sierte, a teacher in Compostela, described the shaking as the longest of her life, with ceilings falling in some offices. Journalist Kath Cortez noted small cracks in her family's house in Davao city. Energy Secretary Sharon Garin said four electric companies in Mindanao were being monitored after power supply tripped in some areas.
The quakes occurred just ten days after a deadly 6.9-magnitude earthquake hit Bogo City in Cebu province, which killed 71 people. The Philippines, located on the Pacific Ring of Fire, experiences more than 800 earthquakes annually.
