A powerful 6.8 magnitude undersea earthquake rocked the Philippines on Friday, Nov. 17, officials said. The quake occurred in the southern Mindanao region at 4:14 p.m. local time. Although initially logged as having a magnitude of 7.2, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) later downgraded the earthquake to 6.8, local news reported. There is currently no tsunami warning in effect.
When news of the earthquake first broke on Friday, it was logged that no injuries or casualties had been noted, yet reports of both have since emerged. At present, the official death toll remains unknown. The Office of Civil Defense told TIME in an email on Saturday that “information on the number of casualties is all subject to validation.”
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRMMC) told TIME in a separate email that it had tallied a total of seven deaths so far, but is still verifying reports. The working group is currently investigating three reported deaths in General Santos City, South Cotabato, two in Glan, Sarangani, one in Jose Abad Santos, Davao Occidental, and another in Malapatan, Sarangani. TIME reached out to the relevant government authorities for further details.
