Massive earthquake struck Philippines

A M 6.8 earthquake struck the southern part of the Philippines resulting in at least 3 fatalities. According to recent information, at least 49 more people have been injured and 5,700 evacuated.

The seismic shock occurred on December 15, 2019. Its epicenter was located at about 61 kilometers southwest of Davao city on the island of Mindanao. According to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre, there was no threat of a tsunami due to the shock.

Local infrastructure suffered critical damage. Cracks appeared in houses, schools and bridges. Fortunately, the tremblor occurred on Sunday and schools were empty. Moreover, power outages were triggered after the incident.

Rescue operations are underway in the affected areas. Crews, including ambulances, have been dispatched to assist the attempts.

Among the 3 people reported dead, there was a little girl who died in her house after a wall gave way due to the quake. 

The other 2 people were killed after a supermarket collapsed at the Southern Trade shopping center in the town of Padad. At first, it was believed that many people were trapped under the rubble and, therefore, rescuers rushed at the scene. Authorities managed to pull some victims out of the debris but they received a message from a person suggesting that 6 additional people were still trapped. "The person can no longer be reached,” Fred Trajeras, a fire official, said.

Despite crews utilized high-tech equipment including thermal imaging to find survivors, the chances of additional rescues are minimal. “It’s very distressing. There’s a very slim chance of finding survivors,” Christopher Tan, a regional disaster official, stated.

Until now, several aftershocks (with the strongest being M 5.7) have been recorded following the main shock. According to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), more aftershocks may follow.

The earthquake was the third one with a magnitude of more than 6.5 to hit the Philippines since October 2019. Due to the previous quakes, 14 more people died and 400 were injured.

The Philippines is on the Pacific Ring of Fire, an area in the Pacific Ocean where massive earthquakes and volcanic explosions occur.

The video below shows footage from the impact of the earthquake on Mindanao Island.