Scary earthquake shakes Philippines and sets off tsunami alarm

December 29, 2018 | byRodolfo Vieira

A massive 7.2 magnitude earthquake rocked the Philippines, causing its residents to fear for their lives.

The earthquake hit Mindanao, in the southern part of the country, as well as all coasts within 300 km of the affected area.

In a video being shared online, one can see how scary it must have been for people, with objects falling to the ground and the walls violently shaking around them.

A TERRIFYING EXPERIENCE

In the footage, a store owner, who is yet to be identified, can be seen urging a customer to join her behind the counter and protecting their heads under it.

Meanwhile, several objects, including bottles, can be seen falling and getting smashed, with some of them landing right on top of the two scared women.

"There is currently no tsunami threat regarding Australia."

THE BEST COURSE OF ACTION

The earthquake led the authorities to issue a tsunami warning, with the islands of Davao, in the Philippines, and Geme and Tabukan Tengah, in Indonesia, being the most likely to experience the damaging waves.

According to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, people should stay away from beaches and the coast fronting the Philippine Sea between 12 and 2 p.m.

Although the waves are expected to arrive within that schedule, they could last for several hours so it is best to avoid coastal regions as much as possible.

There is currently no tsunami threat regarding Australia, and Indonesia hasn't suffered any damage, at least when it comes to this particular natural event.

A WEEK EARLIER

Last Saturday, on December 22, 2018, 400 people lost their lives after a tsunami, caused by the eruption of a volcano known as Anak Krakatau, hit the Sunda Strait region.

Hundreds of houses, buildings and vehicles were swept away and destroyed, leaving residents homeless and without their possessions