Severe Earthquake Hits Central Philippines, Triggering Tsunami Alert

MANILA, Philippines -- A powerful earthquake struck offshore in the central Philippines on Tuesday evening, registering a preliminary magnitude of 6.9. The quake prompted residents to evacuate their homes and resulted in damage to infrastructure, including a historic stone church, as well as a tsunami warning in the region.

The epicenter of the earthquake was located approximately 17 kilometers (10 miles) northeast of Bogo City in Cebu province. In response to the seismic activity, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology issued a tsunami warning, urging individuals to steer clear of coastal areas in Cebu and the adjacent provinces of Leyte and Biliran due to the potential threat of waves reaching up to 1 meter (3 feet).

Teresito Bacolcol, the director of the institute, indicated that aftershocks are anticipated, and further damage assessments are underway. In Daanbantayan, a town in Cebu province, power outages were reported, and the extent of the damage to the local stone church is still being evaluated.

This seismic event comes on the heels of a storm that recently impacted central Philippine provinces, resulting in at least 27 fatalities primarily due to drownings and falling trees. The storm also caused extensive power outages across various cities and towns, displacing tens of thousands of residents.

The Philippines is situated in a region known as the Pacific "Ring of Fire," which is notorious for its seismic activity, including earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. The country is also regularly affected by approximately 20 typhoons and storms each year, making it one of the most disaster-prone nations globally.