No tsunami after strong 7.6 earthquake hits Philippines, one dead

Manila - A tsunami warning is in effect following a a 7.9-magnitude earthquake that struck the Philippines on Friday. The tsunami warning was issued for nations in the nearest vicinity, including Japan, Indonesia and Taiwan.

According to the United States Geological Survey, a 7.6-magnitude earthquake, which was downgraded from a 7.9-magnitude quake, struck the Philippines island region at 8:47 p.m. local time. The temblor was located 94 kilometres (58 miles) east of Sulangan and 174 km (108 miles) northeast of Surigao. The earthquake’s depth was measured to be 34.9 km (21.7 miles). The Associated Press reports that one person is dead following a house collapse. The earthquake also reportedly knocked out power in many small towns, while there have been tsunami surges. It has been reported that one person died in that area of Visayas and Mindanao, a 54-year-old woman, but the damage has been minimal (only seven houses). Due to the strength of the earthquake, a tsunami warning was issued for the region by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. The warning affects Philippines, Japan, Indonesia, Taiwan, Papua New Guinea and other islands in the Pacific, including the state of Hawaii. “It is not known that a tsunami was generated. This warning is based only on the earthquake evaluation,” the center stated in its warning. “An earthquake of this size has the potential to generate a destructive tsunami that can strike coastlines near the epicenter within minutes and more distant coastlines within hours.” The center's tsunami warning was later cancelled. This is a breaking news story; please check back for further details.