A powerful earthquake of 6.9 magnitude hit the coast off southern Philippine island of Mindanao yesterday, at 11:39 am and small tsunami waves were possible along the coast of Indonesia and Palau, CNBC reports.
Though no casualties or damage have been reported from the earthquake, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said the earthquake struck 193 km (120 miles) east of the Philippine city of General Santos, at a depth of 60 km (37 miles).
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center warned that the tsunami waves were possible within 300 km (186 miles) along the coasts of Indonesia and Philippines. But later said that the waves were forecast to be less than a foot above tide level in parts of Palau, Indonesia and Philippines.
Some southern Philippine residents said the earthquake lasted about a minute with no major damage to lives and property. However, The Philippines Institute of Volcanology and Seismology urged the public to avoid the coast areas as slight sea level disruptions are anticipated.
