The death toll from a magnitude 7.8 earthquake in the southern Philippines has reached at least 15, with more than 100 people injured, disaster agency officials said.
The quake struck off the southern island of Mindanao on Monday (Jun 8), collapsing buildings and sparking tsunami warnings across the region.
Philippine authorities urged people in affected coastal regions to move to higher ground after the offshore quake hit south of General Santos, a city of about 720,000.
A series of powerful aftershocks rocked the area from about two hours after the first quake, according to the United States Geological Survey, with the largest measuring 6.5 on the Richter scale.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said in a notice that tsunami waves were possible “within the next three hours” along the coasts of the Philippines, Indonesia, Palau, Taiwan and Papua New Guinea.
Police Major Roland Catoburan told AFP two people had been crushed to death by a collapsing wall in Alabel, a municipality near General Santos City.
“We have casualties. A wall fell on them,” he said, adding officers were not being allowed to re-enter their stations, some of which now had cracked walls.
Master Sergeant Robert Dagon of the General Santos City police separately confirmed another reported death and four injuries.
“Many buildings were affected, but I cannot enumerate them now because we are busy with ongoing rescues,” Dagon said.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos suspended school classes in affected areas of Mindanao while calling on residents in coastal areas to evacuate immediately.
The country’s national disaster agency said reports of casualties were “still being verified”.
The airport in General Santos was also closed until further notice, officials said.
Monday’s quake triggered evacuation warnings for coastal areas of neighbouring Indonesia and Malaysia, with both nations subsequently lifting their alert.
Japanese authorities issued a tsunami advisory for swathes of its Pacific coast, projecting waves of up to 1m to hit different regions from 11.30 am. (CNA)
