Philippines: A magnitude-6.0 offshore earthquake occurs southeast of Mindanao Island at around 17:11 March 8

A magnitude-6.0 earthquake occurred in the Philippine Sea to the southeast of Mindanao Island at around 17:11 PHST March 8. The epicenter was about 98 km (61 miles) southeast of Pondaguitan, Davao Oriental Province. The tremor occurred at a depth of about 125 km (78 miles), and light shaking was probably felt throughout parts of southern and eastern Mindanao Island, Philippines, and far northeastern North Sulawesi Province, Indonesia. There have been no initial reports of damage or casualties as a result of the earthquake; however, significant damage is unlikely due to the depth and offshore nature of the tremor. It could take several hours until authorities can conduct comprehensive damage assessments, especially in remote areas. Moderate aftershocks are likely over the coming days. The event has not prompted any tsunami advisories.

Officials may temporarily shut down transportation infrastructure in the tremor zone to check for damage. Minor disruptions could occur during shutdowns, but service will likely resume quickly if no damage is found. Utility outages are possible, particularly near the earthquake's epicenter.