The philippines dropped a tsunami warning early sunday after waves retreated following a magnitude 7.4 earthquake that slammed the country's south, causing coastal evacuations and some waves in the philippines and Japan. There were no immediate reports of injuries or major damage in the Mindanao region, however, some people reported damage to structures in the area, which is less populated than other parts of the archipelago.

Over 500 aftershocks were registered, and the Philippines' Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) advised residents to use caution as they resumed routine activities. "The tsunami threat associated with this earthquake has now largely passed the philippines," Phivolcs stated in a statement but urged residents in affected areas to follow local authorities' recommendations. It has already asked residents of Surigao Del Sur and Davao Oriental provinces to relocate inland.

The national disaster agency said it was analyzing the quake's impact, with a team on the ground gathering data. The Philippine Coast Guard placed all of its boats and planes on standby for possible deployment. "We started going back to our homes early on sunday, although we are still shaking because of aftershocks," Julita Bicap, 51, a front desk receptionist at GLC Suites hotel in Bislig, said after electricity was restored at 5 a.m. (2100 GMT).

"There are still aftershocks." We were all in the evacuation facility last night, including my two foreign visitors. "One of them has already returned to the hotel," Bicap told Reuters, adding that she observed a little break in the front wall.

According to the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre, the greatest aftershock was magnitude 6.5.

Earthquakes are widespread in the philippines, which is located on the Pacific Ocean's "Ring of Fire," a belt of volcanoes prone to seismic activity.

Hundreds of civilians were seen at an evacuation shelter in images uploaded on social media by officials in Hinatuan province, 30 kilometres (20 miles) from the epicentre of the earthquake.
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SIBY JEYYA

03/12/2023 07:21 AM