Manila, June 8 (SANA) A powerful magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck off the southern Philippines on Monday, killing at least 12 people, injuring more than 200 others and triggering a tsunami along nearby coastlines, authorities said.
Most of the casualties were reported in buildings damaged by the quake, which generated tsunami waves of up to one meter (3 feet) in some coastal areas.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said the tsunami threat had largely passed about five hours after the earthquake. Philippine officials reported no deaths or significant damage linked directly to the tsunami, according to the AP.
Teresito Bacolcol, director of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, said the earthquake struck at a depth of 33 kilometers (20.5 miles), with its epicenter located about 32 kilometers (20 miles) southwest of the coastal town of Maasim in Sarangani province on the southern island of Mindanao.
The quake was the strongest recorded in the Philippines this year, according to the institute.
Emergency teams were deployed to affected areas as authorities assessed damage and continued search and rescue operations.
The Philippines is located along the Pacific Ring of Fire, one of the world’s most seismically active regions, where several major tectonic plates meet, making the country prone to frequent earthquakes and volcanic activity.
R.D/ABD
