Strong 7.4 Magnitude Quake Hits Southern Philippines

Residents in coastal towns in central and southern Philippines were asked to evacuate as authorities warned of waves over a metre (3.3ft) above normal tide levels.

At least one person was killed in the earthquake on Friday morning, which also led to power cuts and classes being suspended in parts of the country.

The latest tremor comes just over a week after a 6.9 magnitude quake hit Philippine's central Cebu province, killing 74 people and injuring hundreds. 

Residents in coastal towns in central and southern Philippines were asked to evacuate as authorities warned of waves over a metre (3.3ft) above normal tide levels.

At least one person was killed in the earthquake on Friday morning, which also led to power cuts and classes being suspended in parts of the country.

The latest tremor comes just over a week after a 6.9 magnitude quake hit Philippine's central Cebu province, killing 74 people and injuring hundreds. 

The earthquake in Cebu on 4 October was among the strongest and deadliest the nation has experienced in recent years, and has displaced some 80,000 people across the province.

Last month, a super typhoon pummelled through the country's north, killing 11 people.

Philippine authorities had warned of "destructive" and "life threatening" tsunami waves following Friday's earthquake, but the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii said about an hour later that the threat had passed.

Still, aftershocks with magnitudes ranging from 2.6 to 4.9 have continued rattling the southern region of Mindanao hours after the initial quake, Phivolcs reported.

In nearby Indonesia "minor tsunamis" were detected, with the highest reaching 17cm in the Talaud Islands in North Sulawesi.

Students on the Talaud Islands, an archipelago close to the Philippine border, have been sent home, but the situation remains calm, a local official told the BBC.

Indonesians urged people to "remain calm" and to stay away from buildings damaged by the earthquake.