Powerful Earthquake Strikes Eastern Philippines, Prompting Tsunami Alerts

A 7.6-magnitude earthquake struck the eastern parts of the Philippines on Saturday, triggering tsunami advisories across the region and as far as the southern part of Japan, nearly 2,000 miles away.

There were no immediate reports of damage.

The quake struck at about 10:37 p.m. local time in Mindanao, in the eastern part of the Philippines, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The Japan Meteorological Agency issued a tsunami advisory for the Pacific coast of Japan, from the Miyakojima-Yaeyama region to Chiba Prefecture.

Residents of the provinces Suriago del Sur and Davao Oriental on the eastern part of Mindanao were warned to head to higher ground or move farther inland because of the possibility of tsunami waves of more than one meter, or a little more than three feet, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology.

John Keefe contributed reporting.