Philippines lifts tsunami alert after deadly 7.8 earthquake
The Philippines and Indonesia both issued tsunami warnings after a powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck off Mindanao. At least 15 people were killed and more
The Philippines and Indonesia both issued tsunami warnings after a powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck off Mindanao. At least 15 people were killed and more than 200 injured. A 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Mindanao in the southern Philippines on Monday morning, killing at least 19 people and injuring more than 200 others. The seismological agencies of the Philippines and Indonesia issued tsunami warnings, advising people along the coast to evacuate to higher ground or travel inland. Both countries lifted their alerts later on Monday.
Tsunami damage was reported in at least one village after the earthquake sent 1-meter (3-foot) waves into nearby coasts. Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said authorities were moving fast to coordinate disaster response. "The national government is moving and we will not leave Mindanao behind," Marcos said in a statement. The Philippines lies on the edge of the Pacific's so-called 'Ring of Fire' — an arc of seismic faults that makes the country unusually prone to volcanos, earthquakes and tsunamis. At least 19 killed, over 200 injured According to officials from the disaster agency, the death toll from the earthquake has reached at least 19 in the Philippines, while more than 200 people were injured.
Junie Castillo, a spokesman for the Philippine Office of Civil Defense, said 19 deaths have been confirmed so far. Twelve people are still missing, he added. General Santos, a port city in the south of Mindanao with a population of over 700,000 and a hub for tuna exports and other commerce, was among the areas hit hardest by the earthquake. "Many buildings were affected, but I cannot enumerate them now because we are busy with ongoing rescues," Master Sergeant Robert Dagon of the General Santos City police told the AFP news agency.
The earthquake damaged buildings in the south of the Philippines Image: Ernesto Torres Jr/AP Photo/picture alliance "A number of buildings collapsed. Some houses also collapsed." The quake struck 24.7 kilometers (15.3 miles) west-southwest of the Philippine town of Burias at a depth of 35 kilometers (22 miles), according to the US Geological Survey. Edited by: Rana Taha
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