At least 32 dead after 7.8 magnitude earthquake rocks Philippines

· Toronto Sun

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At least 32 people have died, and more than 200 others have been injured after a 7.8-magnitude earthquake shook the Mindanao region in the southern Philippines on Monday.

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The earthquake hit around 7:37 a.m. local time at a depth of about 35 kilometres, according to the United States Geological Survey, which noted the tremors were “notable.”

The quake struck off the shores near General Santos City in Sarangau province, which is the southernmost tip of Mindanao island, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said, as reported by CNN .

Tsunami warnings triggered

The earthquake triggered tsunami warnings in the Philippines, Indonesia and Japan, BBC reported, with limited waves ranging from a few centimetres to 1.4 metres. Tsunami warnings were also issued in Australia and New Zealand after the quake hit, but were soon lifted.

The Philippines, Japan and Indonesia are situated in a location dubbed the Ring of Fire, an arc of fault lines that circle the Pacific Basin that’s prone to frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, CNN reported.

Monday’s earthquake follows last year’s deadly quake in the Philippines, considered the deadliest quake in more than a decade after at least 74 people were killed on the island of Cebu.

Images, video of destruction circulate on social media

Images circulating on social media from General Santos City, where about 720,000 people live, showed stores crumbling and layers of concrete layered on top of each other, CNN reported.

Video filmed at Mahayhay elementary school in Davao showed students scrambling for shelter during a morning flag ceremony, The Guardian reported.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said evacuation centres were ready and operational when the earthquake hit, and government agencies were directed to evacuate residents, begin rescue work, and assess the damage left in the quake’s path.

The president also ordered schools closed in affected areas until further notice.

“The safety of our children comes first,” he said, per The Guardian.

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