Two strong earthquakes strike southern Philippines; at least five 7 dead

Phivolcs chief Teresito Bacolcol said Friday night’s quake “was caused by movement along the same fault line the Philippine Trench at a depth of about 10 kilometres (6 miles).” He added that it was not immediately clear if the second tremor was a separate earthquake or an aftershock.

At least five people died, including two hospital patients who suffered heart attacks during the shaking and a resident hit by debris in Mati city, said Ednar Dayanghirang, a regional director of the government’s Office of Civil Defence, in a phone interview with the Associated Press (AP).

He added that two villagers were killed in a landslide in Pantukan town in nearby Davao de Oro province, while several others were rescued with injuries by army troops and local volunteers.

“Some buildings, including the international airport in Davao City, developed cracks but operations continue,” said Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro IV, deputy administrator at the Office of Civil Defence.

Jun Saavedra, a disaster official in Governor Generoso town, told the AP: “I was driving my car when it suddenly swayed and I saw power lines moving. People ran out of buildings as the ground shook.” He said several structures, including a local high school, were damaged and about 50 students were taken to hospital after fainting or feeling dizzy.

Classes were suspended in several towns, including Manay and Davao City, which has more than five million residents.

A tsunami warning issued for six coastal provinces was lifted later in the day. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said small waves were detected along parts of the Philippines and Indonesia but caused no significant damage.

The Philippines, located on the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, frequently experiences earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. The country is still recovering from a 6.9-magnitude quake on September 30 that killed at least 74 people in Cebu province.