7.6 magnitude earthquake strikes off the southern Philippines, briefly prompting a tsunami warning

In this photo released by the Local Government Unit of Hinatuan, villagers stay inside a temporary evacuation center at Hinatuan town, Surigao del Sur province, southern Philippines, late Saturday. (Local Government Unit of Hinatuan /via AP)

MANILA, Philippines — A powerful earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.6 struck Saturday off the southern Philippine coast, prompting many villagers to flee their homes in panic around midnight after Philippine authorities issued a tsunami warning.