A strong earthquake with a magnitude of 7.6 struck the southern Philippines today, triggering panic and reports of damage across the Mindanao region. Dozens of patients evacuated the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) in Davao City, and buildings in the region sustained damage, according to officials.
The earthquake, which struck in waters off the town of Manay at a depth of 10km, prompted authorities to assess the situation and prepare search and rescue efforts. Philippine president Ferdinand Marcos Jr. stated,”We are working round the clock to ensure that help reaches everyone who needs it.” The quake follows a deadly 6.9-magnitude earthquake that hit Bogo City in Cebu province ten days prior,leaving 71 people dead and continuing to generate aftershocks.Edwin Jubahib, the governor of Davao Oriental province, reported that people panicked when the earthquake struck and that “some buildings were reported to have been damaged.” Christine Sierte, a teacher in Compostela near Manay, described the shaking as starting slowly but growing stronger, saying, “It was very slow at first then it got stronger… that’s the longest time of my life. We weren’t able to walk out of the building instantly because the shaking was so strong.” Ceilings in some offices fell, but no injuries were reported, though approximately 1,000 students at her school “suffered panic attacks and difficulty in breathing.”
Local journalist Kath Cortez, based in Davao City, noted cracks appearing in the ground floor walls of her family’s home, adding, “I was surprised by the strength,” and that family members ran outside.
Indonesia’s geophysics agency initially issued a tsunami warning for regions of North Sulawesi and Papua, which has sence been lifted. The Philippines is located on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” experiencing over 800 earthquakes annually. The European-Mediterranean Seismological Center measured the quake’s magnitude at 7.4 and its depth at 58 km (36 miles).
