Magnitude 7.4 quake rocks Surigao del Sur; 1 dead

MANILA, Philippines — A powerful magnitude 7.4 earthquake jolted Surigao del Sur at 10:37 p.m. on Saturday, Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) director Teresito Bacolcol said, expecting damage to infrastructure.

At least one casualty was reported.

At a press conference yesterday, Bacolcol said Phivolcs initially recorded the strength of the quake as magnitude 6.9, but it was upgraded to magnitude 7.4 after gathering more data.?

“Last night (Saturday) we also issued a tsunami advisory. It was lifted at 3:23 this morning,” he said.?

A tsunami warning as high as one meter was issued for all coastal communities in Surigao del Sur and Davao Oriental, where immediate evacuation was recommended in the affected areas.

“There were confirmed tsunami occurrence. The highest was 0.64 meters in Mawes Island in Hinatuan; 0.18 meters in Lawigan, Bislig City; 0.05 meters in Port of Dapa, Surigao del Norte; and 0.08 meters in Mati, Davao del Oriental. So, it did not reach the one meter tsunami range,” he said.

Phivolcs said that the last recorded wave arrival in the Philippines occurred at 2:52 a.m. at Hinatuan-Bislig Bay Station in Mawes Island yesterday.

In Malacañang, President Marcos assured communities hit by the earthquake that efforts are underway to assist them and to ensure their safety.

“We continue to provide assistance to the families affected by the impact and aftermath of the magnitude 7.4 earthquake in Mindanao,” Marcos said in a post on X yesterday.

“The DSWD (Department of Social Welfare and Development) and DILG (Department of the Interior and Local Government), in collaboration with local government units, are actively coordinating efforts to provide essential aid to those in need.”

The public works department is “diligently” assessing the Caraga region with the support of the Office of Civil Defense and National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, the President said.

Officials of the Police Regional Office-13 (PRO-13) and the Caraga Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office stated in separate reports that the earthquake forced villagers in coastal areas to move to higher ground due to a possible tsunami.

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