China sympathizes with Surigao quake victims

China extended its sympathies to the victims of the quake that rocked Surigao City last February 10.

In a message of condolences sent to Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said China stands ready to actively provide assistance to the Philippines.

Minister Yi expressed the Chinese government's belief that under the leadership of President Rodrigo Duterte, people in the disaster area "could certainly overcome difficulties and restore normal production and life at an early date."

Surigao City has been placed under a state of calamity after the magnitude 6.7 earthquake left several people dead and hundreds more injured.

According to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, the quake hit at 10:03 pm of February 10 with the epicenter located 14 kilometers north of the city,

It has left extensive damage to structures in Surigao City and in other nearby towns, including the city's airport and several bridges.

The city government also said that 20 percent of the city's population has been affected by the tremor.