![People gather along a street after evacuating from inside buildings after a 7.6 earthequake struck Butuan City, in southern island of Mindanao late December 2, 2023. A powerful magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck the southern Philippines on December 2, the US Geological Survey said, as local authorities warned of a "destructive tsunami" and urged people in coastal areas to flee. (Photo by AFP) / The erroneous mention[s] appearing in the metadata of this photo has been modified in AFP systems in the following manner: [BYLINE - STR] instead of [BYLINE - TED ALJIBE]. Please immediately remove the erroneous mention[s] from all your online services and delete it (them) from your servers. If you have been authorized by AFP to distribute it (them) to third parties, please ensure that the same actions are carried out by them. Failure to promptly comply with these instructions will entail liability on your part for any continued or post notification usage. Therefore we thank you very much for all your attention and prompt action. We are sorry for the inconvenience this notification may cause and remain at your disposal for any further information you may require.](http://media.assettype.com/daily-tribune%2Fimport%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F12%2Ffp04AFP3-scaled.jpg?w=480&auto=format%2Ccompress&fit=max)
A magnitude 7.4 to 7.6 earthquake struck Surigao del Sur and Davao Oriental on Saturday evening, killing at least one person and causing damage to infrastructure.
On Sunday, residents in the affected areas were allowed to return to their homes as President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered the Department of Public Works and Highways to assess the damage caused by the quake.
According to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, the quake was felt past 10:30 p.m., with its epicenter located 25 kilometers off the coast of Surigao del Sur.
Phivolcs recorded more than 600 aftershocks, four major, resulting in minor damage to homes.
While some regional airports reported cracks on wall tiles, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines said airports it manages in Mindanao remained operational.
The four major aftershocks had magnitudes exceeding 6.0 over several hours into Sunday, the US Geological Survey said.
Tsunami warnings
The initial quake triggered tsunami warnings across the Pacific region and sent residents along the east coast of Mindanao fleeing buildings, evacuating a hospital, and seeking higher ground.
There have been no reports of major damage to buildings or infrastructure so far, disaster officials told AFP on Sunday.
A pregnant woman died in Surigao del Sur province, when a wall inside her house collapsed on top of her, said a local disaster official.
Two people suffered minor injuries in Tandag City, about 100 kilometers north of Bislig after they were hit by falling debris, an official said.
Disaster officials in Hinatuan municipality, about 21 kilometers from the epicenter, said they were still inspecting villages for damage and casualties.
Phivolcs initially warned of a "destructive tsunami" expected to cause "life-threatening" waves.
It issued a bulletin at 3:23 a.m. local time that the highest waves generated by the seismic activity were .64 meters (25 inches) tall on Mawes Island but also said the tsunami warning had ended.
"While we are grateful for the lack of reported casualties and major damage, we remain vigilant," he said.
"The DPWH, together with the Office of Civil Defense and the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, are conducting a thorough assessment of the Caraga region."
In a separate statement, NDRRMC said it is actively coordinating with disaster authorities following the earthquake in Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur.
It was placed on blue alert status, prompting half of its officials to stand by for potential emergencies.
The earthquake came nearly two weeks after a 6.7 magnitude quake hit Mindanao, killing at least nine people, shaking buildings, and causing part of a shopping mall ceiling to collapse.
Quakes are a daily occurrence in the Philippines, which sits along the Pacific "Ring of Fire," an arc of intense seismic and volcanic activity that stretches from Japan through Southeast Asia and across the Pacific basin.
With Tiziana Celine Piatos, Anthony Ching and AFP
