Six killed in powerful Philippines earthquake, two weeks after same region hit by another deadly tremor

At least six people have died after the quake hit the island of Mindanao near Davao City, in the same region where a deadly quake struck earlier this month

The Philippines is part of the Pacific ‘Ring of Fire’, an arc of intense seismic activity that stretches from Japan and across the Pacific basin

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The damaged town hall after a 6.6 magnitude earthquake hit Magsaysay, in southern island of Mindanao, Philippines. Photo: AFP

Published: 10:52am, 29 Oct 2019Updated: 9:22pm, 29 Oct 2019

A powerful earthquake struck the southern Philippines on Tuesday, killing six people, cracking buildings and injuring many in a region still reeling from a previous deadly tremor.

Terrified locals ran into the streets after the 6.6-magnitude quake, which hit the island of Mindanao as schools and offices opened for the day. The shaking lasted up to a minute in some areas, damaging homes, multistorey buildings and classrooms in a region where hundreds are still displaced by a quake that killed at least five earlier this month.

The quake hit near the town of Kisante, less than 100km from Davao City, the hometown of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte and one of the most populated cities in the country. It was about 50km deep. There was no tsunami threat.

A teenage boy was crushed by a falling wall as he tried to escape his school in Magsaysay, the town spokesman said. Other students were injured in “stampede” to escape the building but survived.

A resident points to damage to a building in Davao City, Philippines, after an earthquake on October 29. Photo: EPA-EFE

Rock and landslides unleashed by the violent shaking killed four others, while a collapsed wall crushed a man, authorities said. At least 50 people were hurt by falling debris, including some seven pupils and teachers hurt escaping their collapsed primary school.

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