MANILA, Philippines — A powerful undersea earthquake struck off the southern Philippines on Saturday, prompting people to scramble out of shopping malls and buildings and authorities to warn villagers to stay away from beaches in case of a tsunami. No casualties or damage were reported hours after the quake struck before noon, and the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center lifted its warning for a potential tsunami that it had said could hit coastal areas of the southern Philippines and Indonesia. The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake had a magnitude of 6.9. The quake was felt in several southern provinces and cities, including in President Rodrigo Duterte’s hometown in Davao city and in nearby Tagum City. The Philippines and Indonesia lie along the so-called Ring of Fire, a seismically active arc of volcanoes and fault lines in the Pacific Basin.

Source: National Post December 29, 2018 04:10 UTC