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A severe earthquake has shaken the south of the Philippines. The quake occurred on Friday in the province of Sarangani on the main island of Mindanao at a depth of 78 kilometers, according to the US earthquake monitoring station, USGS. It reached a magnitude of 6.7. The authorities initially reported no injuries or severe damage, but the tremors panicked many people in Davao.
“I think it was the strongest earthquake I’ve ever experienced,” said 27-year-old Keeshia Leyran. “People around me panicked and ran out.” A photo published on Facebook and verified by AFP showed a collapsed ceiling in a shopping mall in the city of General Santos, which is almost a hundred kilometers from the epicenter of the quake.
In a video from another shopping center in the city, customers could be seen seeking shelter under the tables of a fast-food restaurant and screaming because of the tremors. “I saw things falling from the ceiling,” said 34-year-old Gregorio Narajos, who shot the video. “When we came out, we saw cracks and debris outside.”
Police in Sarangani said no reports of damage or casualties had been received. Jason Sioco from the local disaster management authority said that cracks had appeared in several school buildings in the municipality of José Abad Santos. However, no “substantial damage” had been reported. A tsunami warning was not issued because of the quake.
The Philippines are on the Pacific Ring of Fire, where several earth plates collide. Earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, therefore, occur frequently in this Southeast Asian country.
- hp with report from k.at/picture: googlemaps.com
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