An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.9 occurred off the central coast of the Philippines, damaging buildings, roads, and causing power outages in some areas. Rescuers continue to search for possible victims and warn the public about aftershocks, writes UNN with reference to The Guardian.
Details
As the publication notes, the earthquake "with a magnitude of 6.9 occurred off the central coast of the Philippines, damaging buildings and roads." It also led to power outages in some areas of the region. At the same time, the US Geological Survey initially reported a magnitude of 7.0, and then lowered it, while the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center stated that there was no tsunami threat, the publication says.
Municipal workers inspected a damaged public building and a gymnasium, both in the north of Cebu Island, hours after the earthquake struck offshore near its northern tip at 9:59 PM.
There may be people trapped under the collapsed buildings
These cities are located near the epicenter of the earthquake and have a population of 90,000. Ramos said he did not know how many people were missing. According to him, recovery efforts are complicated by darkness, as well as by aftershocks.
After the initial earthquake, the US Geological Survey recorded four more tremors of magnitude 5.0 and above in the area. Local seismologists warned of a possible slight rise in sea level and urged residents of the central islands of Leyte, Cebu, and Biliran to stay away from beaches and coastlines.
A firefighter from San Fernando said: "We felt the shaking here at our station, it was very strong. We saw our locker moving from left to right, we were dizzy for a while, but we are fine now."
Martam Pasilan, 25, from the resort town of Bantayan, also located near the epicenter, noted that he was in the town square near a damaged church.
"I heard a loud rumble from the church, and then I saw stones falling from the building. Fortunately, no one was hurt. I was shocked and panicked at the same time, but my body couldn't move, I just waited for the shaking to stop," he said.
Reaction of official representatives of the authorities
The Cebu provincial government reported the collapse of a commercial building and a school in Bantayan, as well as damage to a number of rural roads. According to the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines, the earthquake caused power lines to break, leading to power outages in Cebu and neighboring central islands and complicating the assessment of the extent of the damage.
Cebu Provincial Governor Pamela Baricuatro, in a video message on her official Facebook page, urged residents to "stay calm and go to open areas; stay away from walls or structures that may collapse, and be prepared for aftershocks." She added that the provincial government is assessing the situation and maintaining contact with municipal officials.
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