Phivolcs: Tsunami from magnitude-7.2 quake in Japan unlikely

State seismologists downplayed on Wednesday the possibility of a tsunami from a magnitude-7.2 quake in Japan hitting the Philippines. But the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said it continues to monitor tsunami alerts following the quake, which was recorded at 10:45 a.m. "Yan ang binabantayan namin, posible sa Japan may warning na tsunami. Pero tingin natin malayo na rin ... Ang nakalagay sa tsunami warning center sa Hawaii di na magkakaroon ng threat sa malayuang lugar. Posibleng doon sa Honshu pero sa malalayong lugar di makakaapekto," Phivolcs director Renato Solidum Jr. said on dzBB radio. (We are monitoring the situation. It is possible the quake can cause a tsunami in Honshu Island, but the Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii said a tsunami is not likely in far areas.) A preliminary report of the United States Geological Survey said the quake was recorded at 10:45 a.m. Manila time. Its epicenter was off the east coast of Honshu, about 211 km east of Sendai, Honshu, Japan; 245 km southeast of Morioka, Honshu, Japan; 252 km northeast from Iwaki, Honshu, Japan; or 430 km northeast from Tokyo. Meanwhile, Solidum said a magnitude-3.5 quake rocked the Davao area in Mindanao Wednesday morning. He said the epicenter was 54 km southwest of Mati town, and was felt in Governor Generoso in Davao Oriental. "Hindi ito damaging (It is not likely to cause damage)," he said. — RSJ, GMA News