2 strong earthquake hit Philippines: At least 14 fatalities

At least 14 people died after 2 earthquakes struck the southern part of Philippines.

The first seismic shock (M 5.6) occurred on October 29, 2019, and it was followed by a M 6.5 tremblor 2 days later. 

The initial shock hit the Island of Mindanao, about 96 kilometers away from its capital, Davao, a city with a population of 1.6 million people. It caused significant structural damage to infrastructure and resulted in fatalities. In particular, according to officials, 510 schools and more than 6200 residences suffered damage with 10 of the schools and 1200 of the houses destroyed. 

Remarkably, the region was devastated by another M 6.3 earthquake that struck on October 16, 2019, causing at least 5 fatalities. Experts state that the source of the current seismic shock is the same. “The location is almost the same as the one on Oct. 16. There is an existing fault in the area and the movements are still ongoing,” Erlinton Olavere, a researcher at the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, stated.

The tremblor caused massive evacuations of people living in vulnerable buildings. More than 12,700 locals moved to evacuation facilities.

The 2^nd earthquake struck about 40 kilometers southwest of Davao city and caused additional structural issues, especially to the temporary facilities that were established. However, the fact that people moved to those facilities probably saved their lives since more buildings collapsed after the 2^nd earthquake.

Overall, the series of earthquakes caused 14 fatalities and more than 400 injuries. 

Philippines is located on the Pacific Ring of Fire, a region where volcanic eruptions and strong earthquakes occur due to the displacement of the lithospheric plates.

Click on the video below to watch scenes from the moment of the first earthquake that were captured on camera.