At least 15 killed as powerful earthquake strikes southern Philippines

Original article by Natasha May with agencies

A magnitude-7.8 earthquake shook part of the southern Philippines early on Monday, collapsing buildings and killing at least 15 people.

“Many buildings were affected, but I cannot enumerate them now because we are busy with ongoing rescues,” Robert Dagon, of the General Santos City police, told Agence France-Presse.

The national disaster agency said at least 15 people had died – 12 in the Soccksargen region of Mindanao island, and three in Davao Occidental province.

The office of civil defence warned people to avoid entering damaged homes or other infrastructure due to the threat of aftershocks.

Video verified by the Guardian shows the collapse of the upper floor of a Jollibee restaurant, a popular fast food chain, as well as the outer concrete walls of a commercial complex giving way in General Santos City, near the epicentre of the quake.

In Davao del Sur, part of a high school collapsed as students gathered outside, a video shared by local radio network Bombo Radyo showed.

Images of a convenience store in General Santos city showed its entrance destroyed with smashed glass and overturned benches strewn across the street outside.

Power outages were reported and people were urged to go to higher ground. No further information on casualties was immediately available from the office of civil defence.

The epicentre was 13km (8 miles) south-west of General Santos city on the island of Mindanao and had a depth of 10km (6.2 miles), according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology in its initial report. It struck at 7.37am. The US Geological Survey (USGS) put the magnitude at 7.8 and the depth at 55.2km (34 miles).

Shortly after the quake, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said waves up to 3 metres (10ft) were possible on some coasts of the Philippines and that waves up to 1 metre (3ft) were possible on some coasts of Indonesia and Malaysia. In a later update it said the threat had largely passed.

The Philippines president Ferdinand Marcos Jr said evacuation centres were up and running, as government agencies continued to assess damage and clear routes needed for rescue operations.

Residents felt the earthquake tremors in Indonesia’s North Sulawesi and North Maluku provinces.

The Philippines, one of the world’s most disaster-prone countries, is often hit by earthquakes and volcanic eruptions due to its location on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” an arc of seismic faults around the ocean. The archipelago is also lashed by about 20 typhoons and tropical storms each year.

The earthquake struck just as public schools reopenedfor the year. A video taken at Mahayhay Elementaru School in Davao showed panicked pupils scrambling for safety during the morning flag ceremony.

The Philippines Red Cross reported attending three high schools to care for many students traumatised by the quake.

Marcos Jr ordered the suspension of school in affected areas until further notice. “The safety of our children comes first,” he said.

Carmela Fonbuena contributed to this report. With Associated Press and Agence France-Presse