A powerful 7.2 magnitude earthquake has struck near the Philippine island of Mindanao, triggering urgent tsunami warnings across coastal regions of both the Philippines and Indonesia and sending communities scrambling for higher ground.
Immediate Evacuations Underway
The quake, which struck at a depth of 10km according to the United States Geological Survey, has prompted the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology to issue a tsunami alert for coastal areas facing the Celebes Sea. Residents in vulnerable communities have been instructed to evacuate immediately inland or to designated safe zones.
"We are urging people in coastal areas to move to higher ground," a spokesperson for the Philippine disaster agency stated. "Do not wait for further instructions. The time for action is now."
Regional Impact and Response
Indonesia's Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency has also issued a tsunami warning for parts of North Sulawesi, reflecting the regional scale of the threat. The earthquake's epicentre was located approximately 150km east of General Santos, a major city in the southern Philippines.
Early reports suggest strong shaking was felt across Mindanao, with power outages reported in some areas. Telecommunications have been disrupted, hampering initial damage assessments.
Pacific Ring of Fire Activity
This seismic event highlights the ongoing volatility of the Pacific Ring of Fire, where the Philippines and Indonesia sit squarely within one of the world's most seismically active zones. Both nations have experienced devastating tsunamis in recent decades, including the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and the 2018 Sulawesi tsunami.
Emergency response teams are being mobilised across both nations, with military assets placed on standby for potential rescue and relief operations. The situation remains fluid as authorities await the first tsunami wave observations and complete initial damage assessments from the earthquake itself.
