Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Death toll at five in Philippine quake
DAVAO, Philippines — The death toll from a strong earthquake in the southern Philippines climbed to five people, with dozens more injured, officials said Thursday.
The Office of Civil Defense said two people died and 18 were injured in a landslide set off by Wednesday night’s quake in Davao del Sur province’s Magsaysay town, where a child also was killed after a wall collapsed on her.
Officials reported two more deaths elsewhere, including a girl hit by a collapsed wall in southern Maguindanao province. More than 50 people were injured in total, mostly after being hit by concrete walls and falling objects.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said the 6.3 magnitude quake was centered 14 miles southeast of Tulunan in North Cotabato province at a relatively shallow depth of 5 miles. More than 200 aftershocks have been recorded.
The U.S. Geological Survey placed the magnitude at 6.4 with a depth of 9 miles. Shallow quakes tend to cause more damage than deeper ones.
Some areas lost power, including the transport hub of Kidapawan city. A fire broke out in the Gaisano shopping mall in General Santos city shortly after the quake, but there were no reports of people trapped.
Vice Mayor Joselito Pinol of North Cotabato’s M’lang town said patients were evacuated out of a hospital to ensure their safety during the quake. Several buildings were damaged, including Pinol’s office, where the glass-windowed facade fell.