A tsunami warning was issued in the Philippines by the country's seismology agency on Monday following a 7.8-magnitude earthquake that struck Mindanao.
Philippines Seismology Agency Director Dr. Teresito C. Bacolcol said that the first tsunami waves are expected to arrive between 7:37 a.m. and 9:37 a.m. local time.
"The waves may continue for hours," added Bacolcol.
The agency warned that waves are expected to reach more than a meter above normal tide levels and "strongly advised" those in coastal areas to "evacuate to higher ground" or "move further inland."
An additional earthquake of magnitude 7.0 in the southern Philippines was also reported by the agency, which stressed that dangerous aftershocks were possible.
The German Research Center for Geosciences (GFZ) reported that the earthquake struck at a depth of 10 km, initially grading it as magnitude 8.2 but later downgrading it to 7.8.
Indonesia also issued a tsunami warning, with no immediate reports of major damage in either Indonesia or the Philippines.
'Move to higher ground, do not wait'
Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr. asked all affected residents to heed the tsunami warning, emphasizing that his government "will not leave Mindanao behind."
"Move to higher ground, do not wait," stressed Marcos. "Life is more important than anything left behind."
Marcos added that he is in "constant communication with regional offices and offices on the ground," further noting that classes across all education levels are canceled until further notice.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center warned that 3-meter-high waves are possible on some coasts of the Philippines, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).
The center further warned of smaller tsunami waves in Taiwan, Japan, Guam, Papua New Guinea, and several additional areas of the western Pacific Ocean, ABC reported.
According to the report, tremors were also felt in the Indonesian provinces of North Sulawesi and North Maluku.