At least 19 people have died and more than 200 have been injured after a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck the southern Philippines, the Associated Press reported, quoted by News.bg.
Several buildings collapsed and key infrastructure was damaged in the city of General Santos on the island of Mindanao.
The quake triggered landslides and a tsunami. Waves up to 1 meter high were recorded, causing damage to a coastal village. Smaller waves were reported in Indonesia, Palau and southern Japan.
General Santos is a port city of more than 700,000 people and an important regional center for the export of tuna and other goods. Thousands of people have fled their homes since the earthquake. Seismologists are warning residents not to return to damaged buildings without an expert assessment due to the risk of aftershocks.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. canceled classes and ordered disaster response agencies to immediately provide assistance to affected areas. He assured that the government would not abandon Mindanao.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said the threat of large tidal waves had largely passed. Philippine authorities also lifted a tsunami warning.
According to local authorities, six stilt houses were damaged by high waves in a coastal village in the Zamboanga del Sur region.
Thousands of people have been displaced. Seven of the fatalities were in General Santos, where several small buildings, including a popular hamburger restaurant, collapsed or were severely damaged. The remaining deaths were caused by falling debris, a damaged mosque and landslides in the provinces of Sarangani, South Cotabato, Davao Occidental and Balut Island.
Authorities are investigating a report of students trapped in a badly damaged two-story school in General Santos. At least 12 people are missing. Search and rescue operations are continuing in damaged buildings and warehouses.
Public schools resumed work after the summer vacation on the day of the disaster. More than 100 students suffered minor injuries during the morning flag-raising ceremonies, and some of them fainted from panic.
General Santos International Airport was temporarily closed, and 17 domestic flights were canceled.
The earthquake was also felt in the Malaysian state of Sabah on the island of Borneo. In Indonesia, a wave with a height of 83 centimeters was recorded near the island of Sulawesi, and in Palau - 30 centimeters. Waves of up to 20 centimeters were recorded in the area of the Japanese island of Chichijima and near the city of Kushimoto.
According to the US Geological Survey, the initial tremor was at a depth of 55 kilometers. Numerous aftershocks were also recorded, the strongest of which had a magnitude of 6.5 on the Richter scale.