A powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 7,4 struck off the southern coast of the Philippines on Sunday, the country's seismological agency said, with tsunami warnings in several states and an appeal to coastal residents to seek shelter inland or on higher ground, Reuters reported.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) warned of the possibility of aftershocks.
The earthquake occurred this morning in the sea waters off the town of Manay in Davao Oriental province, on the island of Mindanao.
At least one person has died, civil protection official Rafi Alejandro said on Facebook.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said around noon local time that the tsunami threat for the Philippines had passed, although it had previously warned of possible waves of 11 to 3 meters high. Warnings from other agencies were still in effect.
There were no other reports of casualties from regional emergency services contacted by Reuters, but an official in Manaj said there were initial reports of damage to houses, buildings and bridges.
The earthquake was one of the strongest in recent years to hit the Philippines, a country located on the Pacific "Ring of Fire" and experiencing more than 800 earthquakes each year.
Preparing rescue teams
The US tsunami warning system immediately after the earthquake issued a warning that dangerous waves were possible for coasts within a radius of 300 kilometers from the epicenter.
The quake came two weeks after the Philippines was hit by its worst earthquake in more than a decade, when 74 people died on the island of Cebu. The magnitude was 6,9, and the quake was also undersea.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said authorities were assessing the situation on the ground and that rescue teams would be sent as soon as it was safe to do so.
"We are working around the clock to ensure that aid reaches all who need it," Marcos said in a statement.
Richie DeWayne, an emergency official in Manay, near the epicenter, said the earthquake lasted 30 to 40 seconds and that initial damage included several houses, the facade of a church, cracked roads and impassable bridges.
"We couldn't stand. I'm 46 years old, and this is the strongest earthquake I've ever felt," Dewan said in a telephone conversation, Reuters reports.
"The damage is quite extensive," she added.
Tsunami warning for Indonesia and Palau
Phivolcs later corrected the magnitude of the earthquake from the originally reported 7,6 to 7,4 and stated that the depth of the epicenter was 23 kilometers.
A tsunami warning has been issued in Indonesia for northern Sulawesi and Papua, while the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said some coasts of Indonesia and the Pacific island nation of Palau could be hit by waves up to one meter high.
Video footage from Davao City, Philippines, verified by Reuters, shows office workers clinging to their desks as the sounds of structures creaking can be heard. Other footage shows overturned cabinets and evacuated employees gathered outside.
Jonathan Dolotina, a radio operator for emergency services in the coastal town of Mati, said there were no reported casualties so far, but authorities were checking the damaged school building.
Sausan Entrino, an emergency official in the town of Banaj-Banaj, ten kilometers away, told DZMM that local classes have been suspended and inspections are underway, but that there have been no reports of damage so far.
Davao Oriental Province Governor Edwin Jubahib said fear gripped the area when the earthquake struck.
"Some buildings were reportedly damaged. It was very strong," Jubahib told Philippine station DZMM.
Bonus video:
