Pacific Ocean on alert after powerful Philippines earthquake triggers tsunami watch

Pacific emergency agencies are closely monitoring coastal waters after a strong earthquake struck the southern Philippines early Monday.

The death toll from the 7.8-magnitude quake has reached at least 15 people, and more than 100 people have been injured, disaster management agency officials said.

Scientists are checking whether the quake triggered a tsunami that moved across the wider Pacific Ocean.

New Zealand’s National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and GNS Science have put coastal monitoring systems on alert following the earthquake in the Mindanao region.

NEMA has confirmed there is no tsunami threat in New Zealand following the earthquake. While Aotearoa is not threatened, wider Pacific monitoring agencies have issued a regional warning.

The US Tsunami Warning Center says tsunami waves are expected to be less than 0.3 meters above tide levels in parts of the Pacific Ocean.

Coastal monitoring systems across the Pacific are on alert after a powerful earthquake struck the southern Philippines, with scientists tracking the possibility of a tsunami across the region. Photos/Facebook/Cagayan de Oro Today

Territories included under this advisory include American Samoa, Samoa, Tonga, Fiji, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, French Polynesia, New Caledonia, Guam, Hawaii, Palau, Marshall Islands, Kiribati, Nauru, the Federated States of Micronesia (Chuk, Kosrae, Pohnpei, and Yap), along with the Northern Mariana Islands and Wallis. And they missed us.

The center says government agencies in affected coastal areas should take appropriate actions to inform and guide local communities, based on their assessments, actions and level of threat.

Preliminary readings issued by the US Geological Survey and international monitoring centers indicate that the magnitude of the earthquake ranges between 7.8 and 8.2 degrees. The earthquake occurred at 11.38 a.m. New Zealand time, off the southern coast of the Philippines near Galan, at a shallow depth.

A school building at Matanao National High School in Davao del Sur was reported to have been damaged. Photos/Facebook/Monitor Mindanao Today

Earlier, NEMA issued a national advisory shortly before midday while scientists assessed whether the quake had triggered a tsunami.

There is no immediate warning of a devastating tsunami reaching New Zealand, but officials say the situation is still being closely monitored as new data comes in.

“If a tsunami is generated at this location, it is unlikely to reach New Zealand for at least 10 hours,” NEMA said in its initial warning.

This means that any arrival of the first wave, if created, will not reach New Zealand’s shores until about 9.30pm on Monday evening.

The earthquake occurred within the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” the earthquake-prone belt of volcanic and tectonic activity that surrounds much of the Pacific Ocean and regularly produces large earthquakes and tsunamis.

GNS Science tracks deep-ocean pressure data through the DART buoy network across the southwest Pacific.

Filipino Migrant Workers in New Zealand: Filipinos and wider Pacific communities are monitoring updates and trying to contact their relatives after the strong earthquake in Mindanao. photo/workingin.nz

These sensors are used to confirm whether a tsunami has actually formed and is moving across the ocean, and not just an earthquake on land.

Officials say this early monitoring phase is essential for small island nations and coastal communities across the Pacific, where waves can travel quickly and conditions can change.

The earthquake was also felt emotionally throughout Pacific communities, including New Zealand, where more than 100,000 people of Filipino heritage live.

Many families are now trying to contact their relatives in the southern Philippines, especially in areas close to the epicenter.

The affected area includes populated coastal provinces where many communities live and work near the shore.

Watch footage from The World Today of a very strong earthquake that shook the island of Mindanao in the Philippines below.

Emergency authorities are urging people across coastal areas not to panic, but to remain alert and follow official updates as the situation develops.

Residents are advised to stay away from beaches, beaches and estuaries until further notice, as unusually strong rip currents can occur even without a large tsunami hitting land.

Officials say people should only rely on verified updates from emergency agencies and avoid sharing unverified information.

Live updates and official warnings are disseminated through Civil Defense channels, including www.civildefence.govt.nz and NZCivilDefence.

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