One dead after strong quake jolts Philippines

A science research specialist monitors computer data on the recorded earthquake at the Seismology agency office in Quezon City, Metro Manila August 31, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

MANILA - An old lady died and her grandson injured in Cagayan de Oro of southern Philippines after a 7.6 magnitude earthquake jolted off the east coast of Philippine islands on Friday evening.

Mayor of Cagayan de Oro Vicente Emano said in a TV interview said the victim drowned in a river. Meanwhile, seven houses in the city were washed out.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center immediately issued a tsunami alert for the Philippines, Japan, Indonesia and Taiwan region, but lifted the warning later. However,  the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) has not yet lifted local tsunami warning.

Emergency evacuation was implemented in Northern Samar province after the quake, according to provincial governor Paul Daza.

Local TV footage showed cracks appeared in some roads and bridges in Northern Samar.

People in threatened coastal areas are strongly advised to immediately evacuate to higher ground, the Philippine National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said.

Surigao Island was the most vulnerable to tsunami because it faces the Pacific. A small wave measuring 16 centimeters hit Surigao City Friday night, But Phivolcs director Renato Solidum said the wave may just be a first wave, and he advised local residents to be in high alert.

Coast guards stopped temporarily all ferries and ships in Visayas where tsunami alert is still in effect.

Philippine President Beninor Aquino III has instructed Defence Secretary Gazmin as head of the NDRRMC to cooperate with the Phivolcs and ensure that the evacuation in the affected areas be carried out peacefully and orderly.

The Philippines sits on the Pacific "Ring of Fire" where continental plates collide, causing frequent seismic and volcanic activities.