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By Robert Birsel and John Feng
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An earthquake of 7.4 magnitude struck off the southern Philippines on Friday, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said, and authorities issued tsunami warnings though they were later withdrawn.
Residents of coastal communities in the southern Philippines were told to evacuate immediately because of the danger of "life-threatening" tsunami waves after the quake struck in the morning, about 20 miles off the east coast of the southern island of Mindanao, at a depth of 36 miles, the USGS said.
Video posted online from the Philippines showed people crouching down on sidewalks and traffic stopping as the earthquake shook the streets. Children in a school assembly held their plastic chairs over their heads as ceiling panels fell, another video clip posted on social media showed.
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Many people rushed out of offices, shops and homes fearing that their buildings could collapse.
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Provincial officials told media of some damage to buildings but there were no reports of injuries and the feared tsunami waves never materialized.
“Based on all available data, the tsunami threat from this earthquake has now passed," the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Honolulu said several hours after the quake struck.
Earlier, it warned of tsunami waves of up to 9.8 feet in the Philippines and said waves of up to 3.2 feet could strike Indonesia and the Pacific island nation of Palau.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology had listed southern coastal communities including Eastern Samar, the Dinagat Islands, Davao Oriental and Southern Leyte, and warned residents to evacuate immediately.
“A damaging and life-threatening tsunami has been created. Expect a dangerous tsunami at the beaches; its waves are expected to be a meter or more high; during those times, it will increase to normal or expected sea level,” the institute said.
The institute later dropped its tsunami warning but it said aftershocks could strike.
It was the second powerful earthquake to strike the Philippines in 10 days.
A 6.9 magnitude earthquake struck near Bogo City, in Cebu Province, killing at least 74 people on September 30.
The Philippines is on the Pacific "Ring of Fire" of interlinked fault lines and is rocked by earthquakes on a regular basis.
Update 10/9/25, 11:40 p.m.and 3:10 a.m. ET: This article has been updated to include a graphic, new information, a picture and an amended headline.
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