Threatened regions in the Philippines were initially warned to brace for waves up to three meters, with Palau and Indonesia facing potential waves as high as one meter, according to earlier advisories from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Children evacuated a school after a strong earthquake in Davao City in the Philippines on Friday. Source: AP / Manman Dejeto

There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties from the quake, though police officer Dianne Lacorda said the province of Davao Oriental, which includes Manay, expected damage.

“Our cups and glasses on the table were shaking and falling,” she noted, mentioning that power and communication lines were disrupted, preventing authorities from assessing potential damage in several regions.

‘Shaking was so strong’

Around the same time as the earthquake in the Philippines, USGS also identified a shallow 6.2-magnitude tremor located more than 140 km southeast of Manus Island in Papua New Guinea.