On December 2, a series of powerful earthquakes, the maximum magnitude of which reached 7.6 points, occurred in the southern Philippines, off the coast of the island of Mindanao.
Photo: REUTERS
A series of powerful earthquakes, the maximum magnitude of which reached 7.6 points, occurred on Saturday in the southern Philippines, off the coast of the island of Mindanao. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, based on the strength of the tremors and their geographical location, reported that the strongest waves – up to three meters above sea level – will hit the southern regions of the country, and could also reach to parts of Indonesia, Palau. , Malaysia and even Japan.
Another earthquake of magnitude 6.4 occurred at 17:40 local time (20:40 Moscow time) 53 kilometers from the town of Bislig, with a population of approximately 67.5 thousand people.
The Philippine Seismology Agency warned that the tsunami could last until midnight local time, calling its strength “potentially fatal.” Ships at sea during this time should be in the open sea, where there is great depth, and residents of the coastal provinces of the Philippines should immediately evacuate to the nearest hills.
The police chief of the coastal city of Hinatuan, located near the earthquake’s epicenter, said power had been cut since the quake began, but relief teams had so far found no victims.
Moderate to large earthquakes are common in the Philippines, which is located on the so-called “Ring of Fire,” a belt of volcanoes in the Pacific Ocean that experiences increased seismic activity.
