Powerful earthquake in southern Philippines leaves at least 19 dead

A magnitude-7.8 earthquake shook part of the southern Philippines early on Monday, collapsing buildings and killing at least 15 people.

“Many buildings were affected, but I cannot enumerate them now because we are busy with ongoing rescues,” Robert Dagon, of the General Santos city police, told Agence France-Presse.

The national disaster agency said at least 15 people had died – 12 in the Soccsksargen region of Mindanao island, and three in Davao Occidental province.

The office of civil defence warned people to avoid entering damaged homes or other infrastructure owing to the threat of aftershocks.

Video verified by the Guardian shows the collapse of the upper floor of a Jollibee restaurant, a popular fast food chain, as well as the outer concrete walls of a commercial complex giving way in General Santos City, near the epicentre of the quake.

In Davao del Sur, part of a high school collapsed as students gathered outside, a video shared by local radio network Bombo Radyo showed.

Images of a convenience store in General Santos City showed its entrance destroyed with smashed glass and overturned benches strewn across the street outside.

Power outages were reported and people were urged to go to higher ground. No further information on casualties was immediately available from the office of civil defence.

The epicentre was 8 miles (13km) south-west of General Santos City, Mindanao, with a depth of 6.2 miles, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology in its initial report. It struck at 7.37am. The US Geological Survey said the magnitude was 7.8 with a depth of 34 miles.

Shortly after the quake, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said waves up to 3 metres (10ft) were possible on some coasts of the Philippines and that waves up to 1 metre were possible on some coasts of Indonesia and Malaysia. In a later update it said the threat had largely passed.

Vehicles damaged by falling debris in Mindanao.

The president of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, said evacuation centres were ready and operational, as government agencies continued to assess damage and clear routes needed for rescue operations.

Residents felt the earthquake tremors in Indonesia’s North Sulawesi and North Maluku provinces.

The Philippines is one of the world’s most disaster-prone countries and is often hit by earthquakes and volcanic eruptions because of its location on the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, an arc of seismic faults around the ocean. The archipelago is also hit by about 20 typhoons and tropical storms a year.

The earthquake struck as public schools reopenedfor a new academic year. A video taken at Mahayhay elementary school in Davao showed panicked pupils scrambling for safety during the morning flag ceremony.

The Philippines Red Cross reported attending three high schools to support students traumatised by the quake.

Marcos Jr ordered the suspension of schools in affected areas until further notice. “The safety of our children comes first,” he said.

Carmela Fonbuena contributed to this report. With Associated Press and Agence France-Presse

The Guardian wp:paragraph