Powerful earthquake strikes Philippines, triggers tsunami warnings
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A 7.4-magnitude earthquake off southern Mindanao triggered tsunami warnings in the Philippines, Indonesia, and Palau.
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People gather outside a mall in Butuan City, on the southern island of Mindanao, on October 10, 2025, after a 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck off the southern Philippines. (AFP)
A powerful magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck off the southern Philippines on Friday morning, prompting tsunami warnings across the archipelago and neighboring nations, including Indonesia and Palau.
According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the quake occurred at 9:43 am local time (01:43 GMT), about 20 kilometers (12 miles) off the coast of Manay in the Davao Oriental province of Mindanao. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) warned that a “destructive tsunami is expected with life-threatening wave heights” along the country’s eastern seaboard.
Residents of coastal areas were urged to evacuate to higher ground immediately as waves up to three meters (10 feet) were forecast in parts of the Philippines, with one-meter-high waves anticipated for Palau and Indonesia, according to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Communication disruptions and power cuts
Police officer Dianne Lacorda in Davao Oriental told AFP that power and communication lines were down across several towns, complicating early damage assessments.
“Our tumblers on the table were moving and falling,” she said. “Authorities are currently unable to assess the potential damage in some areas.”
Early reports indicated widespread power outages and minor structural damage across affected provinces, though no immediate casualties were confirmed.
The longest time of my life
Residents described scenes of panic as the ground shook violently.
“It was very slow at first then it got stronger... That’s the longest time of my life,” Christine Sierte, a teacher in the town of Compostela.
“The ceilings of some offices fell, but luckily no one was injured.”
She added that several students suffered panic attacks and difficulty breathing during the quake.
In Davao City, local journalist Kath Caortez reported cracks forming on her family’s home.
“I was surprised by the strength. I had just woken up and was about to take a shower,” she said, adding that her family ran outside as the shaking intensified.
Read more: Philippines earthquake death toll rises to 69
Regional tremors and recent disasters
Around the same time, the USGS recorded a magnitude 6.2 tremor southeast of Manus Island in Papua New Guinea, though no significant damage was reported. Earlier in the week, a 99-kilometer-deep quake struck near the city of Lae in Papua New Guinea without major impact.
The Mindanao quake comes just 11 days after a 6.9-magnitude earthquake devastated Cebu, killing 74 people and damaging or destroying over 72,000 homes, the deadliest in the Philippines in over a decade.
The Philippines sits on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” a volatile arc of seismic and volcanic activity that stretches from Japan through Southeast Asia and across the Pacific basin. The nation experiences frequent and sometimes deadly earthquakes, with shallow quakes like Friday’s posing the highest risk to life and infrastructure.
Read more: Super Typhoon Man-yi rocks the Philippines
