Leyte evacuees advised not to return to their houses in seashore

MANILA, Philippines—Leyte Governor Carlos Jericho Petilla said that residents should wait until the Tsunami alert warning has been lowered before going back to their houses near coastal areas.

Petilla said in a televised interview that local mayors know the procedure of evacuating people at least two kilometers from the shore.

A magnitude 7.7 earthquake was recorded off the coast of eastern Samar past 8 p.m. Friday prompting the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) to raise Tsunami alert warning level three in several provinces.

Phivolcs Director Renato Solidum said in a seperate televised interview that they have monitored a 16 centimeter wave that hit Surigao City. Though this might be small, it was probably just the first wave, he said. Succeeding waves could be bigger thus people should wait for the advise from Phivolcs.