Philippines quake triggers minor tsunami in Japan

Tsunami waves reached parts of Japan on Monday, June 8, following a powerful earthquake off the southern Philippines. The Japan Meteorological Agency confirmed a minor tsunami was observed on Okinawa's main island shortly after noon, and a 20-centimeter wave was recorded at Chichijima Island in the Pacific. The agency had earlier issued a tsunami advisory for a vast stretch of Japan's Pacific coast, from Ibaraki Prefecture near Tokyo to the southern island prefecture of Okinawa.

The triggering earthquake, with a preliminary magnitude of 7.8, struck at approximately 7:37 a.m. local time in the Philippines. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the epicenter was located 26 kilometers southwest of Kablalan at a depth of 55.2 kilometers. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology reported strong tremors near the epicenter and issued its own tsunami warning for nine coastal provinces, urging residents to evacuate to higher ground immediately. Initial reports from the Philippines indicated some building damage and power outages, but no significant casualties were immediately reported.

In Japan, authorities urged coastal residents to evacuate, with over 195,000 people...