At least 15 people were killed and more than 200 injured after a strong earthquake measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale hit the southern part of the Philippines, local authorities said.
The earthquake hit the island of Mindanao, and due to the danger of large sea waves, the authorities of the Philippines and neighboring Indonesia issued a tsunami warning.
The earthquake caused great damage
The German Center for Geosciences (GFZ) announced that the epicenter of the earthquake was at a depth of 10 kilometers. The institution initially estimated the magnitude at 8.2, but later corrected the data to 7.8.
According to reports from the Reuters agency, videos of collapsed buildings and extensive material damage appeared on social networks. For now, there is no complete information on the extent of the destruction, while rescue services continue to visit the affected areas.
JUST IN: Powerful 7.8-magnitude earthquake hits Philippines Buildings collapse, panic all around TSUNAMI ALERT ISSUED pic.twitter.com/1H3GzcFUWn
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Tsunami warning
The Philippine seismological agency Phivolcs estimated the magnitude of the earthquake at 7.0 and warned of the possibility of a tsunami with waves higher than one meter.
Authorities have warned residents of coastal areas to stay away from the coast and follow the instructions of the competent services, as the danger of large waves may last several hours after the main impact.
The Indonesian agency BMKG estimated the magnitude at 7.7 and also issued a warning for parts of its territory.
“The strongest earthquake we have ever felt”
The police chief of the city of Alabela in the Philippine province of Sarangani, Benjie Ancheta, said that cracks appeared on the building of the police station immediately after the earthquake.
“This is the strongest earthquake we have ever felt,” Ančeta told Reuters.
According to him, several people fainted due to strong ground shaking, which hit the area during the flag raising ceremony.
Residents of the city of Manado in northern Indonesia also reported that the earthquake was very strongly felt in their area.
The Philippines is among the most seismically active areas in the world
The Philippines is located on the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, an area known for frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Strong earthquakes are not uncommon in that country, but experts warn that shallow earthquakes like this often cause the most damage and pose a serious threat to the population.
