Videos capturing the moment a powerful earthquake struck the Philippines on Saturday have made their way across social media.
The earthquake struck at 10:37 p.m. local time on Saturday off the coast of the southern Philippines island of Mindanao and was measured at a depth of 20 miles. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) gave a preliminary magnitude of 7.6 while the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said it measured 6.9, according to the Associated Press. Although there are no immediate reports of damage or casualties, authorities previously issued a tsunami warning.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center initially said that based on the magnitude and location, it expected tsunami waves to hit the southern Philippines and parts of Indonesia, Palau and Malaysia. However, the center later dropped its tsunami warning.
The Philippines experiences regular earthquakes and volcanic eruptions due to its location on the “Ring of Fire,” an arc of seismic faults around the Pacific Ocean.
Newsweek has reached out to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology via email for comment.
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Since the earthquake, many have taken to X, formerly Twitter, to share the horrifying moment the earthquake struck.
X account World Global News shared a series of videos showing the impact of the earthquake from different points of view. In one video from a hotel room, a bathtub full of water can be seen spilling out onto the floor.
“Footage from a hotel room during 7.6 magnitude of earthquake in Phillipines [sic],” World Global News wrote.
In another video, people can be seen running as the earthquake hits.
“Another footage from the phillipines [sic] amid huge 7.6 magnitude of earthquake hit the Country,” World Global News wrote on X.
In a third video posted by World News Global, people can be seen taking cover as they were having drinks at a restaurant.
“Video footage captures the intense 7.6 magnitude earthquake in Surigao Del Sur, Mindanao, Philippines, triggering tsunami warnings,” World Global News wrote.
X user Internationalism also shared a video showing horrifying moments of the earthquake as people are seen running and taking cover in a building as its ceiling seemingly starts to fall.
“Earthquake in Philippines…7.7Magnitude..Tsunami warning,” Internationalism wrote.
In addition to the videos, pictures posted on Hinatuan government’s Facebook account show residents fleeing to higher ground as Teresito Bacolcol, the head of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, told the AP that his agency advised residents along the coast of southern Surigao del Sur and Davao Oriental provinces to immediately evacuate to higher ground or move farther inland.
Just last month on November 17, eight people were confirmed dead after a 6.7 offshore earthquake struck in the southern Philippines.
According to Reuters, two people missing in a landslide after the earthquake, which struck deep off Mindanao island, were confirmed dead, the Office of Civil Defense said. While the other deaths were from Sarangani province and in South Cotabato and Davao Occidental province. As a result, 13 people were injured from the tremor and more than 50 houses and other buildings were damaged.
In October 2019, the Philippines had been struck by an earthquake that left multiple dead. The earthquake measured 6.8 magnitude on the Richter scale, with its epicenter located around 50 miles southwest of the city of Davao in Mindanao, according to the USGS.
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