Magnitude 7.9 earthquake in Philippines - Tsunami Alert Warning 3 August 31, 2012

(UPDATE) The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology has raised Tsunami Warning 3 over the some provinces in the Philippines after a 7.7 magnitude earthquake was detected off Eastern Samar on Friday night.

Families along the coasts of Northern Samar, Eastern Samar, Leyte, Southern Leyte, Surigao del Norte, and Surigao del Sur should leave their homes and seek higher ground.

The tsunami warning will be raised until 10:47 p.m., when a tsunami that may have been created by the earthquake would reach shores. If no tsunamis are reported by then, the Phivolcs will lower its tsunami warning.

The United States Geological Survey detected the magnitude 7.9 earthquake 139 kilometers east of Sulangan, Eastern Samar. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology measured a magnitude of 7.7, however.
 
This prompted the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii to issue Tsunami Bulletin Number 001 raising a tsunami warning.

As of 9 pm, tsunami warning has been issued for the Philippines, Indonesia, Belau, Yap island, Taiwan, Japan, Guam, Northern Marianas, and Papua New Guinea.
 
PTWC made clear, however, "it is not known that a tsunami was generated." It issued the warning because "an earthquake of this size has the potential to generate a destructive tsunami that can strike coastlines near the epicenter within minutes."

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