Relief in Philippines As Tsunami Alert Is Lifted

New Delhi: The Philippines on Sunday lifted a tsunami alert after waves receded following a 7.5 magnitude earthquake that struck the south of the archipelago nation the evening before, reported Reuters.

The earthquake in Mindanao region triggered evacuations from coastal regions and in Japan also.

Over 500 aftershocks were recorded, and several buildings were damaged. However, there have been no reports of casualties or serious damage.

“The tsunami threat associated with this earthquake has now largely passed the Philippines,” the Philippines Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHILVOCS) said in a statement.

It urged caution and advised people in threatened communities to heed the instructions from local authorities.

PHILVOCS earlier urged people living near the coast of Surigao Del Sur and Davao Oriental provinces to move inland.

The biggest aftershock was of 6.5 magnitude, according to European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre.

Earthquakes are common in this region as the Philippines lies on the ‘Ring of Fire’, a belt of volcanoes circling the Pacific Ocean prone to seismic activity.

The Philippine Coast Guard put all its vessels and aircraft on alert for potential dispatch.