MANILA, Dec 3, 2023 (BSS/AFP) - At least two people were killed and several 
were injured after a magnitude 7.6 earthquake shook the southern Philippines 
late Saturday, triggering tsunami warnings that were later lifted.

The powerful quake struck off the coast of Mindanao island at a depth of 32 
kilometres (20 miles) and was followed by four major aftershocks of 
magnitudes exceeding 6.0 over several hours into Sunday, the US Geological 
Survey said.

The initial quake triggered tsunami warnings across the Pacific region and 
sent residents along the east coast of Mindanao fleeing buildings, evacuating 
a hospital and seeking higher ground.

There have been no reports of major damage to buildings or infrastructure so 
far, disaster officials told AFP on Sunday.

A 30-year-old man died in Bislig City, in Surigao del Sur province, when a 
wall inside his house collapsed on top of him, said local disaster official 
Pacifica Pedraverde.

Some roads in the city were cracked during the earthquake and aftershocks but 
vehicles could still drive on them, she said.

A pregnant woman was killed in Tagum city in Davao del Norte province, the 
national disaster agency said, without providing details.

Two people suffered minor injuries in Tandag City, about 100 kilometres north 
of Bislig, after they were hit by falling debris, an official said.

The national disaster agency recorded a total of four people injured, but it 
was not clear if that tally included the two in Tandag.

Disaster officials in Hinatuan municipality, which was about 21 kilometres 
from the epicentre, said they were inspecting villages for damage and 
casualties.

The Philippine seismology institute initially warned of a "destructive 
tsunami" that was expected to cause "life threatening" waves.

It issued a bulletin at 3:23 am local time that the highest waves generated 
by the seismic activity were 64 centimetres (25 inches) tall on Mawes Island 
but also said the tsunami warning had ended.

Small swells were reported as far away as Japan's eastern Pacific coast, 
where a tsunami warning was also briefly in effect. Palau, a western Pacific 
archipelago located about 900 kilometres (560 miles) off Mindanao, reported 
no impact.

The earthquake came nearly two weeks after a 6.7 magnitude quake hit 
Mindanao, killing at least nine people, shaking buildings and causing part of 
a shopping mall ceiling to collapse.

Quakes are a daily occurrence in the Philippines, which sits along the 
Pacific "Ring of Fire", an arc of intense seismic and volcanic activity that 
stretches from Japan through Southeast Asia and across the Pacific basin.

Most are too weak to be felt by humans but strong and destructive quakes come 
at random with no technology available to predict when and where they will 
happen.