Severe earthquake in the Philippines sends people into a panic
The south of the Philippines has been shaken by a severe earthquake. The quake occurred on Friday in the province of Sarangani on the main island of Mindanao at a depth of 78 kilometers, according to the US earthquake monitoring station USGS. It reached a magnitude of 6.7. The authorities initially reported no injuries or serious damage, but the tremors panicked many people in the city of Davao.
"I think it was the strongest earthquake I've ever experienced," 27-year-old Keeshia Leyran told the AFP news agency. "People around me panicked and ran out." A photo published on Facebook and verified by AFP showed a collapsed ceiling in a shopping mall in the city of General Santos, which is almost a hundred kilometers from the epicenter of the quake.
In a video from another shopping center in the city, customers could be seen seeking shelter under the tables of a fast food restaurant and screaming because of the tremors. "I saw things falling from the ceiling," said 34-year-old Gregorio Narajos, who shot the video. "When we came out, we saw cracks and debris outside."
Sarangani police said no reports of damage or casualties had been received. Jason Sioco from the local disaster management authority said that cracks had appeared in several school buildings in the municipality of José Abad Santos. However, no "substantial damage" had been reported. A tsunami warning was not issued because of the quake.
The Philippines are located on the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, where several earth plates collide. Earthquakes and volcanic eruptions therefore occur frequently in the Southeast Asian country.
The heavy shaking caused by the strength of the earthquake made many people in the Philippines feel frightened and anxious. Despite the earthquake reaching a magnitude of 6.7, authorities initially reported no significant injuries or damage, but the mere thought of an earthquake can be heavy on people's minds. The panic in the city of Davao was so intense that some individuals even ran out of buildings during the tremors.
Source: www.ntv.de
