A powerful offshore earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.9 struck the southern Philippines on Friday evening, hours after a 7.4-magnitude tremor hit the same region earlier in the day, Philippine seismologists reported.
According to the Philippine Institute of Seismology and Volcanology (Phivolcs), the latest quake was recorded near Manay town in Davao Oriental province at a depth of 10 kilometers. Phivolcs chief Teresito Bacolcol said both quakes were linked to movement along the Philippine Trench fault line.
Authorities have yet to confirm whether the 6.9-magnitude quake was a separate seismic event or a powerful aftershock of the earlier one that left at least five people dead.
The first earthquake struck early Friday morning, triggering landslides, damaging hospitals and schools, and prompting tsunami warnings that led to mass evacuations in coastal towns. The tsunami alert was later lifted after no significant sea-level changes were detected.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said rescue operations and relief efforts were being mobilized but stressed that teams would only be deployed once conditions were deemed safe. “We are assessing the damage and preparing resources to assist affected areas,” he said in a statement.
The southern Philippines, part of the seismically active Pacific “Ring of Fire,” frequently experiences strong earthquakes due to the complex system of faults beneath the archipelago. The back-to-back tremors have heightened fears of additional aftershocks in Davao Oriental and nearby provinces.
Local authorities have urged residents to remain vigilant and stay away from landslide-prone slopes and weakened structures. Emergency response units remain on high alert as the full extent of the damage continues to be assessed.
Friday’s twin quakes mark one of the strongest seismic episodes to hit the Philippines this year.
