20,000 people displaced by the Philippine earthquake that killed at least 37
At least 37 people were killed, nearly 500 injured, and more than 20,000 displaced after a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck the southern Philippines on Monday, one of the country’s strongest quakes in 50 years.
Rescuers searched damaged buildings Tuesday to ensure no one remained trapped. Only four people were officially listed as missing, but authorities said collapsed and heavily damaged structures still required thorough inspection.
The quake struck off Mindanao at a depth of 33 kilometers (20 miles), about 32 kilometers (20 miles) southwest of Maasim in Sarangani province. Most displaced residents fled to emergency shelters, fearing a tsunami. Waves reached 1.4 meters (4.6 feet) above tide level in the Philippines, though only six stilt shanties were damaged. Smaller waves reached Indonesia, Palau, and southern Japan.
At least 13 people died in General Santos, while 18 were killed in Sarangani, mostly in a landslide that buried homes in Glan. Other deaths occurred in South Cotabato, Davao Occidental, and on Balut Island. About 2,000 homes and 117 government facilities were damaged. General Santos airport remained closed, canceling 63 domestic flights except humanitarian missions.
Authorities must assess about 6,000 public school buildings before classes can resume. The quake struck on the first day of the school year, and many injured were students attending flag ceremonies. Officials warned damaged buildings could collapse during aftershocks.
Triggered by movement in the Cotabato Trench, it was the Philippines’ strongest quake since the 1976 magnitude 8.1 disaster that killed about 8,000 people.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has deployed senior officials to oversee relief efforts, while the United States, France, Japan, and New Zealand have offered support.
The Philippines is often hit by earthquakes and volcanic eruptions due to its location on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” an arc of seismic faults around the ocean. The archipelago is also battered by about 20 typhoons and tropical storms each year, making it one of the world’s most disaster-prone countries.
