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Agence France-Presse

Rescuers dug through rubble Saturday to find survivors after a powerful earthquake struck the southern Philippines, killing at least six people and sending thousands fleeing for safety.
Residents of the southern town of Surigao in Mindanao island spent the night huddled in fear as aftershocks rocked the city following the 6.5-magnitude quake which struck late on Friday when many people were already in bed.

Provincial governor Sol Matugas told DZMM radio on Saturday that at least six people had died in the disaster.
“There was one person buried alive in his home,” the governor said.
Three others, including a four-year-old boy, were killed by falling debris, civil defence personnel said.
At least 75 people were injured, mostly by falling objects, with 14 in critical condition, they added.
Regional civil defence chief Rosauro Arnel Gonzales said several houses had collapsed and search and rescue teams had been dispatched to make sure no one was inside.

“There are reports of houses that were damaged and they [the rescue teams] have to go around these impacted areas to really ascertain whether there is a need to conduct rescue,” he said.
The disaster knocked out power in Surigao City and surrounding areas with electrical supplies only partially restored by Saturday.
The quake damaged many buildings, including in the two-storey Gaisano mall – one of the city’s largest structures – and shattered windows, sending sharp shards and heavy rubble into the street.

“I thought it was the end of the world. The cement on the roads was cracking open,” resident Carlos Canseco told ABS-CBN television.
One bridge collapsed and two others were damaged in the quake, which also cracked the city airport’s runway, forcing flights to be diverted, the civil defence office added.
Terrified residents fled to higher ground after the quake, fearing that a tsunami would hit the coastal city of over 152,000 people.


Others spent the night in parking lots and open fields.
Hospital staff temporarily brought bed-ridden patients outside until the aftershocks eased.
Provincial disaster monitoring chief Ramon Gotinga said residents were still on edge.
“They are all still traumatised. At the slightest shaking, they run out in the streets,” he said.
The Philippines lies on the so-called Ring of Fire, a vast Pacific Ocean region where many earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur.
The last lethal quake that hit the country measured 7.1-magnitude. It left over 220 people dead and destroyed historic churches when it struck the central islands in October 2013.
Additional reporting by Associated Press


At least six killed, 126 injured in Philippines nighttime quake

Debris litter next to a destroyed hotel after a 6.5-magnitude earthquake struck overnight in Surigao City. Photo; AFP

A resident looks at a mall which was damaged after a 6.5-magnitude earthquake struck overnight in Surigao City, in the southern island of Mindanao, on February 11, 2017. A strong quake shook the southern Philippines on February 10, killing at least three people, toppling buildings and sending panicked residents fleeing their homes, media reports and authorities said. / AFP PHOTO / ERWIN MASCARINAS

Hospital patients take shelter in a pedestrian-waiting shed for safety after a 6 .5-magnitude earthquake struck overnight in Surigao City, in southern island of Mindanao, February 11, 2017. A strong quake shook the southern Philippines on February 10, killing at least three people, toppling buildings and sending panicked residents fleeing their homes, media reports and authorities said. / AFP PHOTO / ERWIN MASCARINAS

Debris from a building of Surigao State College and Technology is seen on a car after an earthquake hit Surigao city, southern Philippines February 10, 2017. Picture taken February 10, 2017. REUTERS/Roel Catoto-Mindanews FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES.

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