Powerful earthquake hits southern Philippines

The earthquake caused damage to buildings

A 7.4 magnitude earthquake has struck off the southern coast of Philippines.

Magnitude measures the strength an earthquake's tremors and 7.4 is considered a major earthquake.

There has been damage to buildings, power cuts and school classes have been cancelled in the areas most affected.

People have been ordered to move inland from the coast and emergency teams are being prepared.

Tsunami warnings were given out for Philippines and other countries nearby including Indonesia.

The Philippines experiences more than 800 quakes each year and this latest quake comes just over a week since one of Philippines' worst quakes in ten years.

Philippines' President Marcos has called for evacuations in several coastal areas.

He also said authorities were looking at the situation and would send out search and rescue teams.

Authorities earlier warned of waves over a metre (3.3ft) above normal tide levels as a result of the earthquake.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii said later said that the tsunami threat had passed.

Some classes have been cancelled, these students Davao city, Philippines had to rush to safe ground when the earthquake hit

Richie Diuyen, a disaster official in Manay near the epicentre, said the quake lasted 30-40 seconds and had damages some houses, cracked roads and bridges which were no longer safe to use.

"We couldn't believe how strong the earthquake was. This was the first time I have experienced that," Ms Diuyen told the BBC.

The quake also led to power cuts and school classes being cancelled in some parts of the country.

In Indonesia, south of the Philippines, "minor tsunamis" were detected.

Students on Indonesia's Talaud Islands, close to the Philippine border, have been sent home.

A local official told the BBC the situation there remains calm.