Tens of thousands displaced by Philippine earthquake

Rescuers are searching ruined buildings in the southern Philippines to make sure no one is still trapped after one of the strongest earthquakes to hit the country in the last half century killed at least 37 people and displaced more than 32,000.

Only four people were thought to be missing according to official records in the southern provinces where the 7.8 magnitude earthquake occurred on Monday morning, but the Civil Protection Agency acknowledged that several collapsed and heavily damaged buildings needed to be thoroughly examined for possible survivors or casualties.

The earthquake struck Mindanao, the Philippines’ second most populous island, injuring nearly 500 people and displacing more than 32,000 people, most of whom fled to emergency shelters.

Many people who left their homes were afraid of the tsunami.

Waves as high as 1.4 meters above tide level were measured in the Philippines, but the only reported tsunami damage occurred to six shanties on stilts in a coastal village. Smaller waves washed ashore in Indonesia and Palau and as far south as Japan.

The earthquake left a trail of destruction, including General Santos, a vibrant coastal city of more than 700,000 people known as the tuna capital of the country; At least 13 people died here due to collapsed buildings and falling debris.

According to Rafaelito Alejandro of the Civil Protection Agency, at least 18 people died in Sarangani province; Most of these were caused by landslides that covered houses in the mountainside town of Glan.

Other deaths were also reported in the southern provinces of South Cotabato and Davao Occidental and on Balut Island, disaster response officials said.

According to the government’s initial damage assessment, approximately 2,500 homes and 117 government buildings and facilities were damaged in many provinces. The international airport in General Santos remained closed for a second day and 63 domestic flights, other than humanitarian missions, were cancelled.

Approximately 6000 public school buildings in the earthquake-hit provinces need to be evaluated so that classes can continue. The earthquake struck on the first day of classes across the country after a two-month summer break, and most of those injured were young students who had excitedly gathered for morning flag-raising ceremonies.

Officials warned that buildings with persistent cracks could collapse due to aftershocks, some of which were dangerously strong.

This was the strongest Philippine earthquake since 1976.