Strong Quake in Southern Philippines Kills 15, Injures Over 100; School Collapse Reported

(CNA, by reporter Lin Hsing-chien, Manila, 8th) A strong earthquake struck the southern Philippines this morning, with the death toll rising to 15 and 129 others injured. Due to communication disruptions, there are unconfirmed reports of a school building collapse trapping teachers and students, with disaster relief authorities stating they are still confirming the situation on the ground.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) reported this morning that a magnitude 7.8 earthquake occurred off the coast of Mindanao island. The epicenter was about 24 kilometers west of Sarangani province at a depth of 35 kilometers. General Santos City recorded a maximum intensity of 7.

Rodrigo Sosmeña, director of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) in Region 12, stated in a disaster report that as of 2 p.m., 15 people had died, seven of whom were in General Santos City.

Sosmeña added that currently in Region 13 alone, 129 people were injured, and 15,077 families have been forced to evacuate or were displaced, equivalent to 70,000 people.

Region 13 is composed of General Santos City and the provinces of Sarangani, Cotabato, South Cotabato, and Sultan Kudarat.

Sosmeña said that a full damage assessment is not yet available, but many reports of structural damage to buildings have been received and are currently being evaluated.

Transportation infrastructure has also been impacted. In Sarangani province alone, at least three bridges are damaged and impassable, and some roads have also been affected.

Regarding rumors of a school collapse in General Santos City trapping teachers and students, Sosmeña said that search and rescue personnel are still operating on-site and the actual situation cannot yet be confirmed.

Sosmeña said that although the damage is severe, it is still within the government's response capabilities.

According to PHIVOLCS, as of 11 a.m., 138 aftershocks ranging in magnitude from 1.3 to 6.7 had occurred in Mindanao.

The Philippines is located on the Pacific Ring of Fire and experiences an average of 20 to 30 earthquakes daily, though most are too small to be felt.

In September of last year, a magnitude 6.9 earthquake in the central province of Cebu killed at least 72 people and injured 559. About two weeks later, a series of strong earthquakes, magnitude 7.4 and 6.9, off the coast of Davao Oriental in Mindanao, killed 10 people and injured over 1,000. (Editor: Chang Chih-hsuan) 1150608