Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos has ordered the immediate evacuation of residents in coastal areas following a powerful earthquake that struck the southern region of Mindanao, triggering tsunami warnings and widespread panic.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) reported that the offshore quake, initially measured at magnitude 7.6 and later revised to 7.4, struck at 9:43 a.m. local time, about 43 kilometers northeast of Manay in Davao Oriental province, at a depth of 23 kilometers.

Following the tremor, the agency issued a tsunami alert for coastal areas in Mindanao and at least three central provinces, warning that waves “may continue for several hours.” Residents were urged to move to higher ground or inland immediately and to stay away from shorelines until the threat was declared over.

President Marcos instructed the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, Civil Defense Office, Armed Forces of the Philippines, and Coast Guard to carry out urgent evacuation and rescue operations, activate emergency communication lines, and maintain close coordination with local authorities.

“I urge everyone to remain alert but calm. Move to higher ground and stay there until authorities declare it safe to return,” Marcos said in an official statement.

Local media reported partial collapses in several buildings, including a shopping mall in Butuan City where debris fell onto parked vehicles. The Davao International Airport sustained minor damage, and two fatalities were reported in initial assessments.

Social media users shared footage showing residents fleeing coastal zones as alarms sounded. Rescue teams and relief units have been placed on standby as authorities monitor aftershocks and the potential for additional waves.

The earthquake, one of the strongest to hit the Philippines this year, once again underscores the country’s vulnerability to seismic activity, sitting as it does along the Pacific “Ring of Fire.”(ILKHA)