Deadly 7.4 Quake Hits Southern Philippines, Triggers Tsunami Scare and Chaos

A powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake rocked the southern Philippines on Friday morning, killing at least two people, damaging buildings, and triggering panic across coastal towns after a tsunami warning briefly sent thousands fleeing for higher ground.

The quake struck just before 10am local time, about 23 kilometres deep, off the coast of Mindanao, the country’s second-largest island. It was strong enough to knock out electricity across several provinces, crack hospital walls, and send residents running into the streets.

For hours, fear of a tsunami gripped coastal communities across the Philippines and parts of Indonesia. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center later said the threat had passed, though “minor sea fluctuations” could still occur.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said the government was “assessing the situation on the ground and ensuring that everyone is safe.”

“I have directed the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, the Armed Forces, and all concerned agencies to immediately carry out evacuations in coastal areas,” Marcos added.

In Davao Oriental province, officials confirmed that two residents died after their homes collapsed. About 250 hospital patients were evacuated after the local medical center sustained heavy damage, with many being treated in outdoor tents.

Jun Saavedra, a disaster officer in Governor Generoso town, said the quake caused power lines to whip violently and forced people to rush out of buildings.

“I was driving my car when it suddenly swayed. People darted out of houses as the ground shook and electricity came off,” he told the AP.

Authorities said several schools and government buildings were damaged, and flights at Davao International Airport continued despite visible cracks in the terminal.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) initially warned of waves up to one metre high and urged residents near the coast to move inland. Similar alerts were issued in Indonesia’s Sulawesi and Papua regions, but both countries lifted their warnings later in the day.

The quake is one of several disasters to strike the Philippines in recent months, following deadly storms and another major tremor that killed more than 70 people.