SIX DEAD AFTER STRONG QUAKE SHAKES SOUTH PHILIPPINES

>> SURIGAO CITY: Rescuers dug through rubble yesterday to find survivors after a powerful earthquake struck the southern Philippines, killing at least six people and sending thousands fleeing for safety.

Residents of the southern town of Surigao City in Mindanao island spent the night huddled in fear as aftershocks rocked the city following the 6.5-magnitude quake which struck late on Friday when many people were already in bed.

Provincial disaster management officer Ramon Gotinga said that most of those killed had died because of falling objects.

But he added that one elderly man was buried in his home when the upper floor collapsed, and despite rescue teams digging throughout the night, they were unable to recover him alive.

Another 80-year-old woman died of a heart attack, Mr Gotinga said, adding that at least 126 people were injured, 15 of them in a serious condition.

The quake damaged many buildings, including in the two-storey Gaisano mall — one of the city’s largest structures — and shattered windows, sending sharp shards and heavy rubble into the street.

Thousands of terrified residents fled their homes with many running to higher ground, fearing that a tsunami would hit the coastal city of more than 152,000 people.

The disaster also knocked out both power and water services in Surigao City and surrounding areas.

Authorities said they expected power to be restored by today but that it may take as much as three days to bring back water services.

Many residents spent the night in parking lots and open fields to avoid falling objects or collapsing buildings.

President Rodrigo Duterte’s spokesman Ernesto Abella assured the public that the government was ready to assist them.

“These are trying times and our hearts go out to Surigao,” he told reporters.

The Philippines lies on the so-called Ring of Fire, a vast Pacific Ocean region where many earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur.

The last lethal quake that hit the country measured 7.1-magnitude. It left more than 220 people dead and destroyed historic churches when it struck the central islands in October 2013.