Quake rattles Cebu, eastern PH coast

Cebu residents felt a strong tremor that lasted almost a minute last night.

A magnitude 7.7 earthquake occured in Guian, Eastern Samar, at 8:47 p.m. , according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs).

A Tsunami level 3 alert was raised past 9 p.m. with warnings for residents of coastal areas facing the Pacific Ocean in six provinces to “immediately evacuate to higher grounds” because of exepcted “high tsunami waves”.

The provinces identified were Northern Samar, Eastern Samar, Leyte, Southern Leyte, Surigao del Norte, and Surigao del Sur.

Boats at sea and boats in harbors were advised to stay in the deeper parts of the water until the threat passed.

In a TV interview, Phivolcs Executive Director Renato Solidum said waves are expected to go as high as one meter in these areas.

Online data from the US Geological Survey (USGS) showed the epicenter of the magnitude 7.6 quake was 94 km east of Sulangan, Guian, Eastern Samar.

Several aftershocks were recorded a few minutes after.

Cebu province felt a magnitude 5 earthquake, according to the Philippine Information Agency 7.

Apart from the Philippines, tsunami warnings were raised in Indonesia, Belau, Yap, Taiwan, Japan, Guam, Northern Marianas, and Papua New Guinea by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.

The warning was later lifted, excluding the Philippines. There were still no reports of damage and casualties.

The earthquake was felt in Iloilo City, many towns of Iloilo province, Capiz and Negros Occidental. In Cagayan de Oro, Misamis Oriental a 54-year-old grandmother died after her house collapsed on a hill in barangay Lapasan.

Office of Civil Defense (OCD) chief Benito Ramos issued an advisory nationwide reminding residents to be on the alert for aftershocks. The quake knocked out power in several other towns and cities across central and southern Philippines, though it was restored in some areas later last night. Correspondent Jessa Chrisna Marie J. Agua with an Inquirer report