Strong earthquakes cause tsunamis in the Philippines

A magnitude 7.6 earthquake shook the area off the Philippines, causing tsunamis on the east coast of the country.

A powerful earthquake of 7.6-magnitude magnitude occurred at 20:47 local time off the Philippines, at a depth of 34km, CNN quoted the US Geological Survey (USGS) as saying. Initially, the seismic intensity was rated at 7.9 Richter.

USGS also said the earthquake occurred about 139km from Sulangan city on Samar island near the east coast of the Philippines.

The figure depicts the location of the earthquake. (Graphic: CNN)

Tsunami warnings are immediately broadcast in parts of Indonesia, the Philippines, Taiwan, Japan, Guam and other areas, said the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC).

"This magnitude quake is likely to cause a tsunami to hit the shoreline near the epicenter in just a few minutes or further away in a few hours," the center said.

According to AFP, a 16cm high tsunami hit the Surigao coast in the eastern Philippines, while local authorities feared higher waves might appear. However, the PTWC later withdrew tsunami warnings in the Philippines and Indonesia.

At least one 60-year-old woman died from the earthquake, while a 5-year-old girl was injured. Both were victims of a seismic landslide in the southern Philippine city of Cagayan de Oro. Earthquakes occur when there is heavy rain so the land is more prone to landslides.

The Philippines is located on the Pacific Fire Ring. This is the world's largest ocean ring with many active volcanoes and unstable ocean trenches. In February, a 6.7-magnitude seismic attack occurred in the central part of the Philippines that led to landslides that killed more than 100 people and went missing.

There is a geological fault line running just below Manila, a metropolis with more than 12 million inhabitants. The Philippine seismologists warned that Manila was not ready to deal with a major earthquake.