Phivolcs lifts tsunami alert

MANILA, Philippines–The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) has lifted the tsunami alert it issued following a magnitude 8 earthquake that struck the Santa Cruz Islands in the Pacific.

In its tsunami bulletin issued at 12:15 p.m. Wednesday, the agency said that the threat of a hazardous tsunami has passed. The issuance followed a cancellation by the Hawaii-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) of its tsunami warning and watch advisory.

According to Phivolcs, the PTWC reported a .91-meter tsunami in the Santa Cruz Islands and a tsunami wave height of .26 meters in Vanuatu, which is closer to the Philippines.

“The current trend of observed wave heights suggests that the threat of a hazardous tsunami has passed. Hence, tsunami alert for the Philippines is now cancelled,” it concluded.

The tsunami alert level 1 raised by Phivolcs earlier also elicited the same reaction in Davao del Sur.

The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council hoisted a tsunami alert covering all coastal towns in Davao del Sur.

Roderick Milana, PDRRMC chief, said he had ordered local disaster response councils in the towns of Sarangani, Malita, Jose Abad Santos, Don Marcelino, Sta. Maria, Malalag, Sulop, Padada, Hagonoy, Sta. Cruz and this city, to prepare for the worst.  With a report by Orlando Dinoy, Inquirer Mindanao