A powerful magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck off the southern Philippine island of Mindanao on Monday, prompting tsunami warnings in the Philippines, Indonesia and parts of the Pacific.

Authorities urged residents in coastal areas to move to higher ground as emergency teams assessed damage and monitored the threat of tsunami waves.

The quake was felt strongly across southern Philippines, with reports of falling furniture, damaged appliances and widespread panic as people rushed out of homes and buildings.

Evacuations Underway

Officials in Sarangani province, near the epicentre, reported power and telecommunications outages while schools suspended classes as a precaution.

Coastal communities began evacuating after warnings that tsunami waves could continue for several hours.

Local authorities said there were no immediate reports of deaths, though assessments of injuries and infrastructure damage were ongoing.

Damage Reports Emerging

A bridge reportedly suffered cracks, while a religious shrine topped by a large cross collapsed following the tremor.

Police officials described it as the strongest earthquake they had experienced, with some people fainting during the shaking.

Aftershocks continued to rattle the region as disaster response teams fanned out across affected areas.

Tsunami Threat Monitored

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology warned that tsunami waves exceeding one metre were possible.

Indonesia’s monitoring agency reported small waves had already been detected, though no major damage was reported there.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said the national government was coordinating relief and response efforts.

(with inputs from Reuters)