A 7.9-magnitude earthquake struck off the southern coast of the Philippines on Monday, triggering tsunami warnings across the region.

The China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC) said the 7.9-magnitude tremor struck at 7.37am at a depth of 40 km, while the United States Geological Survey (USGS) measured the quake at magnitude 7.8, hitting at a depth of 35 km off the island of Mindanao.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said in a notice that tsunami waves were possible "within the next three hours" along the coasts of the Philippines, Indonesia, Palau, Papua New Guinea and Taiwan island.

The geophysics agencies of the Philippines and neighbouring Indonesia issued tsunami warnings. There were no immediate reports of major damage in either country.

Benjie Ancheta, police chief of Alabel town in Sarangani in the Philippines, said the police building had some cracks immediately after the quake, which occurred during their flag-raising ceremony.

Ancheta said there were no immediate reports of casualties, but some people fainted following the strong tremor.

"This is the strongest earthquake we've experienced," Ancheta told Reuters by phone.

Witnesses in Indonesia's northern city of Manado said the quake felt very strong.

Phivolcs, the Philippine agency, said the quake was magnitude 7.0 and warned of damage and tsunami waves above one metre, which could continue for several hours.

Indonesia's BMKG put the quake at a 7.7 magnitude.

Japanese authorities also issued a tsunami advisory along swathes of its Pacific coast.

The Philippines and Indonesia are tectonically complex parts of the "Pacific Ring of Fire", a seismically active belt stretching from South America to the Russian Far East.(Agencies)



Edited by Cecil Wong