One dead as 7.7-magnitude quake hits Philippines

From Philstar.

MANILA, Philippines - A 7.7-magnitude undersea quake struck off the eastern coast of Samar province on Friday night, triggering tsunami warnings across a wide swath of Asia.

Undersecretary Benito Ramos, head of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), reported that 50-year-old Emilita Ubalde was killed and Adrian Ubalde, 5, was injured in a landslide in Barangay Lapasan, Cagayan de Oro City. The landslide occurred after the earthquake.

Meanwhile, a report by radio dzMM said that a house in Agusan del Sur province was hit by a fire. The report said that the fire was sparked by a gas lamp that was toppled during the earthquake.

There were some reports of cracked roads after the quake. Local officials in Samar province said that there was a report that a bridge collapsed.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said that the quake struck 112 kilometers southeast of Guian, Samar. The quake, which was tectonic in origin, took place at 8:47 p.m.

The US Geological Survey initially measured the quake at magnitude 7.9. It later said that the quake measured at 7.6 in the Richter scale. It said that the quake hit at a depth of 34.9 kilometers and was centered 106 kilometers (66 miles) east of Sulangan town on Samar Island.

Phivolcs said in its bulletin that the quake was felt at:

Intensity 7 in Guian, Oras, Sulat, Borongan City, Eastern Samar;
Intensity 6 in Siargao, Surigao del Norte; Tacloban City; Palo Leyte; Saint Bernard, S. Leyte;
Intensity 5 in Mati City; Compostela; Compostela; Legaspi City; Iloilo City; Beilig City; Iligan City;
Intensity 4 in Butuan City, Catbalogan City, Butuan City, Cagayan De Oro City;
Intensity 3 in Cotabato City, Mambajao, Camiguin, General Santos City; and
Intensity 2 in Marawi, Sipalay City Phivolcs said that residents in the coastal areas of northern Samar, eastern Samar, Leyte, southern Leyte, Surigao del Sur and Surigao del Sur were advised to evacuate their homes.
Tsunami alert

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) issued a tsunami alert in the Philippines, Indonesia, Taiwan, Japan, Guam, the Northern Marianas and Papua New Guinea as soon as the earthquake was detected.

The PTWC lifted the alert two hours after the quake struck.

The PTWC said that based on sea level readings, the earthquake generated a tsunami.

"This tsunami may have been destructive along coastlines of the region near the earthquake epicenter," the center said. "This center will continue to monitor sea level gauges nearest the region and report of any additional tsunami wave activity."

The PTWC said that "when no major waves are observed for two hours after the estimated time of arrival or damaging waves have not occurred for at least two hours then local authorities can assume the threat is passed."

At 9 p.m., Phivolcs issued a tsunami alert level 3 in coastal areas fronting the Pacific Ocean, particularly the provinces of Northern Samar, Eastern Samar, Leyte, Southern Leyte, Surigao del Norte and Surigao del Sur.

Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas announced over microblogging site Twitter that the tsunami warning alert was lifted at 12:10 a.m. Saturday.

Phivolcs chief Renato Solidum said that thetsunami warning was supposed to have been lifted at 10:47 p.m. or two hours after the earthquake, but they decided to extend it after detecting tsunamis as high as 19 centimeters in Surigao provinces.

Solidum said that there were no reported damages from the tsunamis as of midnight.

Ramos said that local government units in provinces covered by the tsunami warning alert were able to immediately evacuate residents living along coastal areas.

Solidum said that the hundreds of families that evacuated can already return to their homes.

"Iyong mga nagsilikas ay puwde nang bumalik. Tingnan nila ang mga babalikang bahay ay 'di nasira.. Kailangan tingnan at i-assist ang mga lumikas," Solidum announced in a press briefing after lifting the tsunami alert. - with AP