A powerful 7.8-magnitude earthquake has struck off the southern Philippines, with the civil defence office reporting at least eight fatalities, according to Reuters.
The agency said the deaths are still subject to validation, as rescue and verification efforts continue.
Earlier reports from the BBC said at least three people were killed and five injured, while officials warned the toll could change as assessments progressed.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said on Monday that 138 aftershocks had been recorded as of 11am local time, with magnitudes ranging from 1.3 to 6.7.
The quake, which hit off Mindanao’s southern coast near Burias at around 7:37am local time, also damaged at least 37 buildings, mostly commercial, the UK broadcaster said, citing police.
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) said the quake struck about 15 miles southwest of Burias, warning earlier that casualties were likely given the quake’s strength and local building conditions, according to The New York Times.
Residents in coastal areas were ordered to move to higher ground after the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre issued alerts for waves of up to three metres in parts of the Philippines.
The agency also warned that waves of up to one metre could affect parts of Malaysia, while Japan’s Meteorological Agency issued a broad coastal advisory from Ibaraki to Okinawa.
Indonesia’s meteorology agency issued a separate tsunami warning, and Guam was also placed under advisory.
US authorities said there was no threat to the Pacific coastlines of the United States and Canada, the American daily reported.
Philippine authorities said rescue and damage assessment operations were under way as aftershocks continued to rattle the region.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr ordered suspension of classes in affected areas of Mindanao as the government coordinated disaster response efforts.
The Philippines lies on the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, a seismically active zone where earthquakes are frequent due to shifting tectonic plates.
The latest quake comes months after a similar offshore tremor struck eastern Mindanao, killing at least seven people and injuring hundreds.