UPDATES WITH FATALITY; ADDS DETAILS; CHANGES HEADLINE, LEDE
By Berk Kutay Gokmen
ISTANBUL (AA) - A strong 7.5 magnitude earthquake struck the Mindanao region of the Philippines on Friday, killing at least one person, while prompting the issuance of a tsunami warning, according to the local daily Philstar.
The quake occurred at a depth of 58.1 kilometers (36 miles), the US Geological Survey said.
It struck off the eastern coast of Mindanao Island at 9.43 am local time (0143GMT).
So far, one death has been reported in the Mindanao area, the local media outlet Inquirer said.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology initially recorded the earthquake’s magnitude at 7.6 but later revised it to 7.5.
The institute also issued a tsunami warning for coastal areas of eastern and southern Philippines, advising communities to stay alert for possible tsunami waves.
Following the quake, the Davao City government announced the suspension of classes at all levels, both at public and private schools, to allow for a rapid assessment of damage to infrastructure and facilities.
Separately, a 6.0 magnitude quake struck 144 kilometers (89 miles) south-southeast of the town of Lorengau in the Manus province of Papua New Guinea at 0208GMT at a depth of 10 kilometers (6.2 miles), according to the US Geological Survey.
* Islamuddin Sajid contributed to this story from Islamabad.