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MANILA, Philippines ? The Philippine government warned coastal communities on the eastern side of the archipelago Saturday to prepare for possible evacuation after a powerful earthquake in Chile triggered a tsunami.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said that the 8.8-magnitude earthquake that struck in the Pacific Ocean near the coast of Chile early Saturday could generate a destructive tsunami that could hit coastlines on the western Pacific.
"No evacuation order is in effect but communities along the east coast of the country are advised to wait for further information and to prepare for possible evacuation," the government institute said in an advisory.
"Coastal areas fronting the Pacific Ocean... should keep watch," the advisory said.
It said that the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii would monitor the sea levels and report if any tsunami activity was detected.
