MANILA: A powerful earthquake struck near Mindanao in the southern Philippines this morning, with tremors felt in parts of Sabah.
Malaysia’s Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) said the earthquake occurred at 7.37am, with a magnitude of 7.9 and a depth of 50km.
The epicentre was located at coordinates 5.7° North and 125.1° East, about 97km south of Koronadal City in the Philippines.
“Tremors were reportedly felt in Tawau, Semporna and surrounding areas,” MetMalaysia said in a statement on Facebook, adding that it was monitoring developments related to the incident.
International monitoring agencies reported varying preliminary measurements. The German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) initially estimated the earthquake at magnitude 7.3 before revising it upwards to 8.2.
GFZ said the quake struck at a depth of 10km.
Following the earthquake, the US Tsunami Warning System raising concerns for coastal communities in the region.
There were no immediate reports of casualties or major damage.
Mindanao and the wider Philippine archipelago lie along the Pacific Ring of Fire, one of the world’s most seismically active regions, where earthquakes and volcanic activity are common.
Authorities in Malaysia and the Philippines continued to monitor the situation as more information emerged.
