A sequence of strong earthquakes rattled the western Pacific and surrounding regions
A 7.5 magnitude quake was detected off the southeastern coast of the Philippines, reported by the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre. The event occurred at 14:37 UTC, which is 17:37 in Moscow time, with the epicenter about 13 kilometers northwest of Hinatuan, a village noted for its modest population. The tremor originated at a depth of 63 kilometers. Officials noted that Hinatuan is home to around ten thousand residents, but details about casualties or injuries were not provided in the initial reports.
There was also mention of a tsunami threat from the United States tsunami warning system, although no widespread impacts were confirmed in subsequent updates. The possibility of hazardous waves was taken seriously by coastal communities and monitoring agencies as a precautionary measure.
Earlier in December, a 5.5 magnitude quake was recorded off the coast of Indonesia. In late November, seismologists logged a 6.5 magnitude earthquake off the coast of Papua New Guinea in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. Geoservice reported the tremor originated at a depth of 12.3 kilometers, with the epicenter located 65 kilometers west of the city of Wewak, a province capital with a population surpassing twenty-five thousand.
Additionally, a note from meteorologist Shuvalov suggested that the frequency of natural disasters in Russia could rise in the near term. This prediction aligns with broader trends observed in regional seismic activity and climate-related variability in recent years.