A 7.8-magnitude earthquake hits the southern coast of the Philippines and a tsunami warning is issued.

A 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck the southern coast of the Philippines, killing at least one person and collapsing buildings, according to police, while the disaster led to tsunami warnings being issued throughout the region.

The US Geological Survey said that the earthquake struck at a depth of 35 kilometers off the island of Mindanao.

Videos posted on Facebook showed a mall collapsing into rubble in the province’s General Santos city, while a building collapsed in a local school.

One person was heard shouting, “Oh my God, the building has collapsed! It has collapsed! The building has collapsed!”

Sergeant Robert Dagon of the General Santos City police said that “a number of buildings collapsed,” including homes.

He told Agence France-Presse: “Many buildings were damaged, but I cannot count them now because we are busy with ongoing rescue operations,” confirming that there had been at least one death and four injuries.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said in a statement that tsunami waves are likely to occur “within the next three hours” along the coasts of the Philippines, Indonesia, Palau, Taiwan and Papua New Guinea.

According to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, waves are likely to reach a height of between one and three meters above the tidal level on the coast of the Philippines, and from 0.3 to a meter on the coast of Indonesia and Malaysia.

Also, the Japanese Meteorological Agency issued a tsunami warning for its Pacific coast, from the northern Okinawa Islands to east of Tokyo.

The waves are expected to reach the Japanese coast around 11:30 am local time (02:30 GMT), and their height should not exceed one meter.

The agency said: “Those in the sea must exit the water immediately and stay away from the shore. The currents will remain strong, so please do not enter or approach the sea until the warning is lifted.”

Indonesia issued orders to evacuate the northern regions in anticipation of a tsunami wave following the earthquake.