A strong earthquake of magnitude 7.4 struck offshore in the southern Philippines on Friday, its seismology agency said.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) warned of aftershocks from the quake, which struck in the morning in waters off Manay town in Davao Oriental in the Mindanao region at a depth of 23 kilometres. At least one person was killed, civil defence official Raffy Alejandro said on Facebook.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued an update around noon local time saying the tsunami threat in the Philippines had passed, having earlier said waves one to three metres high were possible, although warnings from other agencies remained in place.

Phivolcs too later cancelled its tsunami warning following the earthquake that struck offshore near its southern coast.

One official in Manay said there were initial reports of damage to homes, buildings and bridges.

The US Tsunami Warning System issued a tsunami threat immediately after the quake, saying hazardous waves were possible for coasts within 300 kilometres of the earthquake's epicentre.

The earthquake came two weeks after the Philippines experienced its deadliest quake in more than a decade, with 74 people killed on the island of Cebu. That was a magnitude of 6.9 and also struck offshore.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said authorities were assessing the situation on the ground, and said search-and-rescue teams would be deployed when it was safe to do so.

Richie Diuyen, a disaster official in Manay near the epicentre, said the quake lasted 30 to 40 seconds and initial damage included some houses, the facade of a church, cracked roads and unpassable bridges.

"We couldn't stand earlier. I am 46 years old now, and this is the strongest earthquake I ever felt," Diuyen said by phone. "The damage is quite big."

A tsunami warning was issued in Indonesia for its northern Sulawesi and Papua regions, and the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said some coasts in Indonesia and the Pacific island nation of Palau could see waves of up to one metre.

A video of the quake from the Davao posted on social media showed office workers holding on to desks as structures creaked. Another showed toppled cabinets and evacuated workers gathering outside.

Sawsan Entrino, a disaster officer in Banay-Banay 10 km away, told DZMM that local classes had been suspended and inspections were underway, but there were no immediate reports of damage.

The governor of Davao Oriental in the Philippines said people panicked when the earthquake struck.

"Some buildings were reported to have been damaged," Edwin Jubahib told Philippine broadcaster DZMM. "It was very strong." (Reuters)
_____________________________
Last updated: 2025-10-10 HKT 14:23