A 7.5 Magnitude Earthquake Shakes the Philippines; Tsunami Warning Issued for the Philippines and Japan

An earthquake with a magnitude of at least 7.5 struck Mindanao Island in southern Philippines on the evening of Saturday, December 2. Evacuation orders were issued for some areas in the Philippines and the southwestern coasts of Japan due to the potential risk of tsunami waves. According to Reuters, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology announced that tsunami waves could reach the shores of the Philippines by midnight local time (16:00 GMT) and could continue for hours. However, by that time, there were no initial reports of significant damage from the waves. The U.S. tsunami warning system indicated that there was a risk of waves up to three meters above the highest tide along some Philippine coasts, although it later stated that the tsunami threat had diminished. The statement read: 'Based on all available data, the tsunami threat from this earthquake has now passed.' The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology warned residents in some areas of the Philippines to 'evacuate immediately' or 'move further inland.' These areas are mostly rural and do not have large populations. Japan's NHK reported that tsunami waves of up to one meter were expected to reach the southwestern coasts of Japan by 1:30 AM local time (16:30 GMT on Saturday). The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology stated that it does not expect significant damage from this earthquake but warned of possible aftershocks.