7.0 quake in Mindanao triggers brief tsunami warning for Philippines & Indonesia

A brief tsunami warning has been issued for the Philippines, as well as for the coasts of Indonesia and Palau, after a powerful 7.0 earthquake hit the southern island of Mindanao.

The National Weather Service's Pacific Tsunami Warning System initially released a hazardous wave alert for all coasts within 300 kilometers of the quake, a radius that includes much of Indonesia and the Philippines.

There have been no immediate reports of casualties or damage from the Mindanao quake, which hit at a depth of 49km at 3:39 UTC on Saturday.

Government agencies have been advised to inform populations in coastal areas of the risk and to instruct them on relevant evacuation procedures, depending on the threat level. The islands of Geme and Tabukan Tengah (Indonesia) as well as Davao (Philippines) may experience tsunami waves within the hour. Davao City, on the southern Philippines island of Mindanao, is home to over 1.6 million people.

Indonesia's Sumatra and Java were struck by a deadly tsunami last weekend that was triggered by a massive underwater landslide caused by the erupting Anak Krakatau volcano. At least 426 people died in the Sunda Strait because of the tsunami, authorities said Friday, lowering the initial death toll as some of the victims were recorded twice.

It remains unclear whether Saturday morning's earthquake off the Philippines was triggered by the erupting Anak Krakatau volcano in Indonesia. Both countries sit on the infamous 'Ring of Fire' basin of the Pacific Ocean, where many earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur.

Indonesia has suffered devastating earthquakes and tsunamis in recent months. Two earthquakes hit off the coast of Sulawesi on September 28, a 6.1 followed by a 7.7, and triggered a monstrous tsunami. Mount Soputan, a volcano in North Sulawesi, erupted days later. The chain-reaction geophysical catastrophe killed over 1,300 people.

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