MANILA, Philippines - A 7.6-magnitude earthquake off the coast of the Philippines has prompted a small tsunami, warnings of structural damage and an urgent call for people to move to higher ground."People in threatened coastal areas are strongly advised to immediately evacuate," the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said late Friday.
"Boats at sea are advised to stay in the deeper parts of the open seas until the threat has passed. If there is sufficient time, boats in harbors and enclosed bays are advised to go to the deeper parts of the open seas until the threat has passed."
- So far, the quake has spawned only a tsunami with up to 3-centimeter-high waves at Legaspi in the eastern Philippines, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said.
- The quake, which was about 20 miles deep, struck just before 8:50 p.m., authorities said. Its center was about 65 miles southeast of the coastal town of Guiuan, in the Philippine province of Eastern Samar.
- The quake prompted a tsunami warning for parts of the Philippines and Indonesia, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said. The U.S. Geological Survey initially said the quake had a magnitude of 7.9 but later revised that figure.
A tsunami watch was in effect for the Marshall Islands, Wake Island, Solomon Islands, several other Pacific islands and parts of Russia, the center said. Authorities say the tsunami "may have been destructive along coastlines of the region near the earthquake epicenter.""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 Philippines coastal areas of Northern Samar, Eastern Samar, Leyte, Southern Leyte, Surigao del Norte and Surigao del Sur fall under the tsunami alert.
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