Powerful quake rocks Philippines, tsunami warning issued August 31, 2012 - 18:11 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - An earthquake of 7.9 magnitude struck off the Philippines on Friday, Aug 31, and a tsunami warning has been issued for the region, the U.S. Geological Survey and the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said, according to Reuters. The quake was centered off the east coast, 91 miles off the town of Guiuan in Samar province at a depth of about 20 miles, USGS said. The tsunami warning was issued for the Philippines, Japan, Indonesia, Taiwan, Papua New Guinea and other islands in the Pacific including the U.S. state of Hawaii. The NOAA Tsunami Center later lifted a warning for Japan, Taiwan and several other Pacific islands."Strong earthquake here in Taft, Eastern Samar! And it lasted very long too!" Samar congressman, Ben Evardone, told reporters via text message. An official at the Philippines' Volcanolgy Institute said he expected damage had been caused in Samar province but he had yet to receive any reports. "If you are anywhere near the coast I recommend that you head to higher ground," Paul Caruso of the USGS told Sky TV by telephone when asked about a threat of a tsunami hitting the coast of the Philippines. Partner news  Top stories Amy Elliott, chief administrative officer of the Oklahoma medical examiner's office, said 51 were confirmed dead. An Islamist insurgency, once confined largely to the republic of Chechnya, has spread across the North Caucasus in recent years. Earlier, at least five Azerbaijan soldiers were killed and six seriously injured when their vehicle rammed into a tree and overturned. Among its provisions are bans on child marriage and the traditional practice of selling and buying women to settle disputes.   Partner news |  Latest news Oil prices rise as investors await Fed’s latest views on U.S. economy  Brent crude, a benchmark for many international oil varieties, rose 21 cents to $105.01 a barrel on the ICE Futures exchange in London.Nokia Siemens unveils tools for better mobile video performance The company says its new capabilities can reduce video stalling by 90% while also cutting demand for capacity by 25%.Russia has fair chance to avoid economic recession: PM “Perhaps, this is not very much. But, at the same time, it’s much better than Europe’s figures,” Dmitry Medvedev said.Sir Alex Ferguson named Manager of the Year The 71-year-old, who won 38 trophies in a 26-year reign at Old Trafford, will be succeeded by Everton's David Moyes. |
