A powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck the southern Philippines early Monday, with its epicenter located 13 kilometers southwest of General Santos city on Mindanao island. The quake, which occurred at 7:37 a.m. local time, had a depth of 10 kilometers. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology reported that tsunami waves of up to 3 meters (10 feet) could impact some coastal areas of the Philippines, while waves of up to 1 meter (3 feet) were expected along the coasts of Indonesia and Malaysia. Teresito Bacolcol, head of the Philippine institute, advised residents in coastal regions to evacuate to higher ground or move further inland. Tremors were also felt in Indonesia's North Sulawesi and North Maluku provinces. The Philippines, located on the Pacific 'Ring of Fire', is frequently affected by seismic activity and is also prone to about 20 typhoons and tropical storms annually. As of now, there have been no reports of significant damage or casualties, but power outages were noted in some areas following the quake.