Severe earthquake hits Philippines: shopping center collapses

Philippines – A powerful 7.8 magnitude seaquake has struck the southern Philippines, killing at least 32 people. Hundreds of people were injured, most of them in damaged buildings. The number of victims is increasing with every hour. The quake also triggered a tsunami up to one meter high. The port city of General Santos is particularly badly affected, where several smaller buildings partially collapsed and an important bridge developed dangerous cracks.

Shopping center collapsed

Footage published on Facebook and verified by AFP shows how a shopping center in General Santos City collapsed, leaving only rubble behind. Elsewhere, a building on the grounds of a school collapsed. According to police, the number of victims could rise. The rescue work is still ongoing. More than a dozen people died in a landslide in the municipality of Glan, said Rene Punzalan from civil protection.

Multiple aftershocks reported

The strongest yet earthquake of the year in the Philippines occurred on Monday morning off the coast of Sarangani province, according to authorities. The epicenter was around 32 kilometers southwest of the city of Maasim at a depth of around 33 kilometers. Numerous aftershocks followed. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said around five hours after the main earthquake that the tsunami threat had now largely passed. There were initially no reports of fatalities or major damage caused by the tsunami itself.

The US Pacific Tsunami Warning Center expected waves to hit several coasts, including the Philippines, Indonesia, Palau, Taiwan and Papua New Guinea. Japan also issued a warning about one for large parts of the Pacific coast Tsunami out of.

President warned of tsunami

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos suspended school classes in the affected areas of Mindanao due to the tsunami threat. He called on residents of coastal regions to evacuate immediately. “Move to higher ground now. Don’t wait,” he said. “Your life is more important than anything you leave behind.” The President continued: “The national government is acting and we will not abandon Mindanao.”

Indonesia also affected by earthquakes

According to Indonesia’s disaster management agency, the quake was faintly felt for two to three seconds in the affected areas. The situation on site is currently “safe, calm and under control,” said a spokesman.

Natural disasters continue to occur in the region

Indonesia and the Philippines are due to their location on the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire – a zone with a particularly large number Natural disasters such as volcanoes and earthquakes – often affected by earthquakes. In October, two earthquakes of magnitude 7.4 and 6.7 struck eastern Mindanao, killing at least eight people. A severe earthquake had previously shaken the Philippine province of Cebu in the center of the country, killing 76 people.

In Indonesia, the province of Aceh was severely damaged in an earthquake and tsunami disaster in 2004. At that time, 170,000 people died in Indonesia alone.