Philippines Quake: Tsunami Warning Now Lifted in both Philippines and Indonesia

The threat of a destructive tsunami has dissipated in the Philippines and Indonesia following a powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake that struck off the southern Philippine coast early Friday, according to the US-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC). The agency, which initially issued alerts for hazardous waves up to 3 meters (10 feet) above tide level along Philippine shores and up to 1 meter in Indonesia and Palau, lifted the warnings by mid-morning local time after monitoring systems detected no significant surge. The event, centered 120 kilometers southeast of Sarangani at a shallow depth of 35 kilometers, underscores the region's vulnerability to seismic activity along the Pacific Ring of Fire, where over 90% of the world's earthquakes occur annually.

The quake, which rattled buildings and triggered panic evacuations at dawn, prompted immediate action from authorities. Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. urged residents in coastal provinces like Davao Oriental and Sarangani to seek higher ground, activating emergency protocols under the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council. In Indonesia's North Sulawesi and Maluku regions, the geophysics agency (BMKG) echoed the call, though officials reported no immediate damage or injuries.

"We are relieved the threat has passed, but vigilance remains key," Marcos stated in a televised address, praising the swift response of local governments. Photographs from Davao City, near the epicenter, captured chaotic scenes outside hospitals, where patients were assisted from ambulances by fire service members amid aftershocks, highlighting the human toll of such events even without a tsunami.

This incident follows a pattern of heightened seismic risks in Southeast Asia, with the Philippines recording 1,500 quakes above magnitude 4 in 2025 alone, per the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs). The 7.4 tremor, felt as far as Manila and parts of Indonesia, registered as a strong VII on the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale in southern Mindanao, causing minor structural cracks but no collapsed buildings, according to initial assessments. Palau, a Pacific island nation with limited infrastructure, also breathed a sigh of relief, with its meteorological office confirming safe conditions after the alert. No casualties have been reported, though power outages and disrupted communications lingered in remote areas, complicating relief efforts.

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As normalcy returns, experts emphasize the importance of ongoing preparedness in tsunami-prone zones. The PTWC's rapid revocation—within four hours—demonstrates advancements in early warning systems, including a network of 60 buoys and seismic sensors across the Pacific. Marcos announced a review of evacuation drills, while Indonesia's BMKG plans to bolster coastal monitoring. For residents in the affected regions, the scare serves as a stark reminder of nature's unpredictability, with aftershocks of up to 5.2 magnitude continuing into the afternoon. International aid offers from neighbors like Japan and Australia stand ready if needed, but for now, the focus shifts to recovery and resilience-building in these earthquake hotspots.

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