A powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 8.2 struck off the coast of Mindanao island in the Philippines early Monday morning, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The quake occurred at 7:40 a.m. local time (23:40 GMT Sunday).

Authorities in Indonesia, the Philippines, and Japan issued tsunami warnings shortly after the tremor, urging residents in coastal areas to evacuate to higher ground and stay away from beaches and harbors.

The USGS advised people in affected regions to immediately leave the water and move away from shorelines. No casualties or damage have been reported so far.

Experts warn that tsunami waves could reach coastal areas within hours. Emergency services are closely monitoring the situation across the region.

Source: www.aljazeera.com