9 Mindanao provinces under tsunami warning after M7 earthquake

KORONADAL CITY — The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) on Monday issued a tsunami warning for nine provinces in Mindanao following a magnitude 7.0 earthquake that struck at 7:37 a.m.

Phivolcs urged residents in coastal communities of Sarangani, Davao Occidental, Tawi-Tawi, Sulu, Basilan, Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga Sibugay, Sultan Kudarat, and South Cotabato to immediately move to higher ground or farther inland as a precaution against possible tsunami waves.

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“Based on the local tsunami scenario database, wave heights of more than one meter above normal tide levels are expected and may be higher in enclosed bays and straits,” the agency said.

Phivolcs said the first tsunami waves could arrive between 7:37 a.m. and 9:37 a.m. on June 8, warning that tsunami activity may persist for several hours.

Meanwhile, internet and electricity services were disrupted in parts of South Cotabato, North Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, and Sarangani as authorities continued assessing the impact of the earthquake. INQ