On March 8, at approximately 17:11 PHST, a magnitude-6.0 earthquake occurred in the Philippine Sea, southeast of Mindanao Island. The epicenter was situated approximately 98 km (61 miles) southeast of Pondaguitan in Davao Oriental Province.
According to reports, the earthquake had a depth of about 125 km (78 miles), leading to light shaking felt in parts of southern and eastern Mindanao Island, Philippines, as well as far northeastern North Sulawesi Province, Indonesia.
While there are no immediate reports of damage or casualties, the offshore and deep-seated nature of the earthquake makes significant damage unlikely. Comprehensive damage assessments, especially in remote areas, may take several hours. The potential for moderate aftershocks in the coming days exists. It’s important to note that there are no tsunami advisories associated with this event.
Authorities may implement temporary shutdowns of transportation infrastructure in the affected zone to assess potential damage. Minor disruptions may occur during these shutdowns, with services likely to resume swiftly if no damage is detected. Utility outages, particularly in the vicinity of the earthquake’s epicenter, are also a possibility.