PPA suspends port ops due to tsunami advisory

The Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) suspended port operations in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao due to a tsunami advisory following a magnitude 8.7 earthquake off Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula.

PPA General Manager Jay Santiago directed all PPA Port Management Offices in affected regions to halt passenger and cargo operations starting at noon until further notice from the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs).

Phivolcs warned that coastal areas on the eastern side of the country fronting the Pacific Ocean were expected to experience a tsunami of less than one meter.

The first tsunami waves were anticipated to arrive between 1:20 p.m. and 2:40 p.m. on July 30, with subsequent waves potentially continuing for hours.

Phivolcs advised the public to stay alert for unusual waves and avoid beaches and coastal areas in specific provinces until the advisory is canceled.