Central Philippines hit by magnitude 6.9 quake with tsunami advisory

A strong earthquake of about magnitude 6.8 struck the central Philippines late Tuesday, authorities and seismic agencies said, jolting Cebu, Bohol and nearby islands and prompting coastal warnings and safety advisories. The quake occurred at roughly 10 p.m. local time on Sept. 30 and was felt across the Eastern Visayas region, officials and local reports said.

Seismological agencies gave slightly different measurements. The United States Geological Survey reported a 6.9 magnitude event with an epicenter about 11 kilometers east-southeast of Calape in Bohol province, while the German Research Centre for Geosciences and the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology recorded magnitudes near 6.7. Phivolcs said the quake’s epicenter was 17 kilometers northeast of Bogo City in Cebu at a depth of about 10 kilometers. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center advised there was no widespread tsunami threat, but the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology issued a local tsunami advisory for several provinces in the Visayas and urged residents to stay away from the coast until the advisory is lifted.

Initial reports and video shared by residents show buildings shaking and...