Powerful 7.6-Magnitude Quake Strikes Philippines; Tsunami Warnings Issued, Relief and Rescue Efforts Underway
The Philippines’ seismology service said the Mindanao region was struck by a 7.5 magnitude quake on Friday. A tsunami warning and rapid evacuation advisory were issued for the nearby coast after the 20 km (12 miles) deep earthquake.
Aadrika Tayal 
New Delhi (India) October 10: A 7.6-magnitude earthquake struck the Philippines on Friday, the country’s seismology service said. A tsunami alert and evacuation guidance for the coast was sent out following the powerful quake. Tsunamis were no longer a threat to the Philippines, according to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii. The advisories of other agencies, meanwhile, remained in place.
President Marcos Jr. Coordinates Relief, Health, and Food Aid
Rescue teams, relief efforts and assessments of potential damage were being coordinated, said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., with dispatches to follow when conditions allowed.
The earthquake, with its epicenter at sea 38 miles southeast of Manay town in Davao Oriental province and a depth of 14 miles, was caused by movement in the Philippine Trench. It is likely to produce damage and aftershocks, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said. Several buildings, including an international airport in Davao City, sustained wall cracks but no flights were canceled.
Quake Shakes Mindanao and Nearby Provinces
The president also said the Department of Health (DOH) will provide health services, and that the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) will distribute food and other direct aid to the affected areas. In the aftermath of the earthquake, the Office of The Vice President said their satellite offices in Mindanao are ready to cater and provide psychological support for people who feel scared or fearful. It is also applicable to young children.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said hazardous waves were possible within 186 miles of the earthquake’s epicenter. Smaller waves were expected to reach Indonesia and Palau, but waves up to three meters were projected to hit some coastal areas in the Philippines.
Warning for Indonesia
A tsunami warning was issued for Indonesia’s northern Sulawesi and Papua areas as a precaution, with waves of up to 50 cm (20 inches) possible off the coast of this island nation.
In the north of Sulawesi province, Indonesia's meteorology and geophysics agency said it had detected small tsunami waves in Melonguane, Beo, Essang and Ganalo in Talaud Islands.These waves were in a range from 3.5 to 17 centimeters (1.3 to 6.7 inches) in height. The agency later cancelled the tsunami warning.
Recent Disasters Show Philippines’ High Risk Zone
Two weeks earlier, the Philippines had suffered its deadliest earthquake in nearly a decade, which killed 72 people on Cebu Island before Friday's powerful quake.
The Philippines is particularly vulnerable to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions because it lies on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” an arc of seismic faults that surrounds the ocean. The nation is battered by about 20 typhoons and storms each year, requiring a lot of disaster response work from both the government and nonprofit organizations.
