DevelopingMagnitude 7.8 quake strikes Philippines with 12 killed, over 200 injured
The threat of a tsunami largely passed about five hours after the quake struck the southern region of Mindanao
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said the threat of a tsunami had largely passed about five hours after the quake struck the southern region of Mindanao.
“It’s a major earthquake and we’re expecting damage and we’ve already some damaged buildings based on videos we’ve seen,” said Teresito Bacolcol, director of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, adding that there had been no reports of damage or casualties from the tsunami.
Philippine authorities urged people in affected coastal regions to move to higher ground after the offshore quake hit south of General Santos, a city of about 720,000.
At least seven people were killed and about 130 others injured in General Santos, where a few small buildings partially collapsed and several structures, including a key access bridge, sustained dangerous cracks, according to Rod Sosmena, regional director of the Office of Civil Defence.
Five other people were killed in the southern provinces of South Cotabato and Davao Occidental province, and on Balut Island, said Sosmeba and another official, Ednar Dayanghirang.