Warnings of possible hazardous waves within 300km of the quake’s epicentre were issued after the powerful quake

A tsunami warning has been issued for the Philippines after a 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck the Mindanao region on Friday, with the local seismology office saying damage and aftershocks were expected.

The US Tsunami Warning System and Philippine seismology agency both issued tsunami warnings, saying hazardous tsunami waves were possible for coasts located within 300km (186 miles) of the earthquake’s epicentre.

Quakes of 7.4 and 6.8 magnitude trigger tsunami alerts as people living near coast advised to evacuate

Two powerful offshore earthquakes struck off the coast of the southern Philippines on Friday, killing at least seven people, while towns near the epicentre faced structural damage and authorities warned of strong aftershocks.

The first quake of magnitude 7.4, in waters off the town of Manay in the province of Davao Oriental, triggered a tsunami alert for coasts within 186 miles (300km) of the epicentre, but the warnings for the Philippines and Indonesia were subsequently lifted.

More than 700 aftershocks recorded while rescuers search for casualties in coastal city of Bogo

Rescuers in the Philippines combed through rubble and mud after the deadliest earthquake in more than a decade killed at least 69 people, with patients overwhelming hospitals on the island of Cebu.

Outside the Cebu provincial hospital, injured children cried and adults screamed on Wednesday as they were treated on beds beneath blue tents. They had been wheeled outside as a precaution against waves of aftershocks.