August 31st, 2012
10:06 AM ET

7.6 quake hits off Philippines

[Updated 10:06 a.m. ET] People in eastern areas of the Philippine island of Mindanao should evacuate to higher ground after a 7.6-magnitude earthquake triggered a tsunami warning, an official of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said, according to the Philippine News Agency.

"Residents living (in) these areas facing the Pacific Ocean are advised to evacuate to higher places," he said, citing the areas of Surigao del Sur and Davao Oriental as particularly vulnerable.

[Updated 9:52 a.m. ET] A tsunami warning has been lifted for Japan, Taiwan and several Pacific islands, but a warning remains for Indonesia and the Philippines, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's tsunami center said Friday.

[Updated 9:50 a.m. ET] The U.S. Geological Survey has revised the magnitude of an earthquake that struck off the coast of the Philippines to 7.6, down from an initial reporting of 7.9, the agency said Friday.

[Posted 9:01 a.m. ET] An earthquake with a magnitude of 7.9 has struck off the coast of the Philippines, the U.S. Geological Survey said Friday.

The quake prompted a tsunami warning for parts of Indonesia, the Philippines, Taiwan, Japan, Guam and other areas, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said.

"An earthquake of this size has the potential to generate a destructive tsunami that can strike coastlines near the epicenter within minutes and more distant coastlines within hours," the tsunami warning center said.

The quake, which was about 20 miles deep, struck just before 8:50 p.m., the agency said. Its center was about 65 miles southeast of the town of Guiuan, in the Philippine province of East Samar.

Ed Serrano, the head of security at the Marco Polo Hotel in the city of Davao, about 250 miles south of Guiuan, said he felt the ground shake.

"The quake was very strong and the hotel guests were panicking. Most of them went outside," he said. "But now the situation is under control and we are waiting for official reports on how strong the quake was."

There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.

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Filed under: Earthquake • Natural Disasters • Philippines
soundoff (85 Responses)
  1. Toes Williams

    I hope everyone is ok.

    August 31, 2012 at 9:10 am | Report abuse |
    • vivo

      God will protect them!

      August 31, 2012 at 9:20 am | Report abuse |
    • jennilyn

      hope so

      August 31, 2012 at 9:25 am | Report abuse |
  2. Jose

    I hop my country doesnt experience any more trauma. So many people have lost their homes. ðŸ™

    August 31, 2012 at 9:11 am | Report abuse |
    • Edward

      Give the Philippines a break, they are still recovering from the typhoon that flooded 80% of Manila. They don`t need anymore trouble right now.

      August 31, 2012 at 9:22 am | Report abuse |
    • iamHaste

      Yeah and for some ... Their lives D:

      August 31, 2012 at 9:27 am | Report abuse |
  3. PH3

    Pray

    August 31, 2012 at 9:13 am | Report abuse |
  4. Spivitz

    I too hope everyone is OK

    August 31, 2012 at 9:15 am | Report abuse |
  5. Skibo2000

    Well, let's hope that this is the last we hear about it

    August 31, 2012 at 9:16 am | Report abuse |
    • cassus

      20 miles deep? Located just offshore... 7.9! We will see in a few minutes, just don't get your hopes up for a large evacuation. Though they have prepared a little for just such an event...

      August 31, 2012 at 9:18 am | Report abuse |
  6. cassus

    Hmm finally CNN will get a bunch of ratings from covering this story. Lucky for them huh? Yes. Only at the expense of others does anyone truly progress.

    August 31, 2012 at 9:16 am | Report abuse |
  7. cassus

    Everything is the beginning nowadays. Sheesh, where does it end?

    August 31, 2012 at 9:19 am | Report abuse |
    • Scientific Explanation

      @Cassus, plate tectonics is not just beginning. It's been around as long as earth has. Just adopt an appropriate building code and enforce it, and the shifting earth plates won't affect you at all.

      August 31, 2012 at 12:13 pm | Report abuse |
  8. Bob

    Surfs Up!!!

    August 31, 2012 at 9:25 am | Report abuse |
  9. larry

    basically we live at a virtual world, this virtual word will be shut down at 12/21/2012.

    August 31, 2012 at 9:25 am | Report abuse |
  10. Mayow

    Lord, Please protect our country once again..

    August 31, 2012 at 9:26 am | Report abuse |
  11. lovemindanao

    i felt the full intensity here in my place in eastern mindanao ....i got afraid ... i thought the building will collapse .. Thank God it stop after a minute ....i hope no tsunami ...

    August 31, 2012 at 9:26 am | Report abuse |
  12. elvis nobleza

    Whole Country felt the earthquake........I felt it also here in gensan......Lakas talaga

    August 31, 2012 at 9:27 am | Report abuse |
  13. bsc1216

    I'm not sure what they mean by 20 miles deep into the earth's crust. but 7.9 I do know can bring a lot of damage. Prayers are coming your way.

    August 31, 2012 at 9:27 am | Report abuse |
    • CosmicC

      The earth's crust – the outermost layer of the planet – varies between about 10 miles to 50 miles in thickness. A quake 2 or 3 miles down is shallow, this one is 20 miles down, so it's pretty far through the crust, but still a mid-level depth earthquake. The deeper the quake the less energy that gets to the surface.

      August 31, 2012 at 9:48 am | Report abuse |
  14. odin48

    it is a sign of the end of the world! or not who knows?!

    August 31, 2012 at 9:28 am | Report abuse |
  15. jidjer

    Pray all you want, but you'd better be doing it while you're evacuating.

    August 31, 2012 at 9:29 am | Report abuse |
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