A 7.4-magnitude earthquake Friday morning off the southern Philippines damaged buildings, knocked out power, killed at least one person and prompted evacuations of coastal areas nearby due to a possible tsunami.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said the potential damage was being assessed and rescue teams and relief operations were being prepared and would be deployed when it was safe to do so.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said it was expecting damage and aftershocks from the earthquake, which was centred at sea about 62 kilometres southeast of Manay town in Davao Oriental province and was caused by movement in the Philippine Trench at a depth of 23 kilometres.

At least one person died after being hit by falling debris in the south, Office of Civil Defence deputy

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