The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) on Friday urged residents in several coastal provinces to immediately move to higher ground after a magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck off Davao Oriental on Friday morning, prompting the DOST-Phivolcs to raise tsunami warnings in parts of Eastern Visayas and Mindanao.
“Right now, as we speak, a tsunami warning has been issued urging people in coastal communities of the following provinces to immediately evacuate or move to higher grounds or move further inland,” said OCD Deputy Administrator for Administration Assistant Secretary Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro IV.
The warning covers Eastern Samar, Dinagat Islands, Davao Oriental, Southern Leyte, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, and Leyte, according to the OCD.
“We urge everybody to cooperate and execute evacuation procedures,” Alejandro said.
“We urge these coastal communities to be on alert and immediately evacuate to higher ground until further notice,” he added.
Phivolcs reported that the powerful quake struck Friday morning off the coast of Davao Oriental, with tremors felt across parts of Mindanao and the Visayas.
