An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.6 hit central Mindanao in the southern Philippines on Tuesday, shaking buildings, causing residents to rush from schools and offices and leaving at least two people dead.
The quake struck 26km northeast of Tulunan, Cotabatom, about 100km southwest of Davao City, at 9.04am (8.04am in Thailand), the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said.
With several aftershocks to be expected, Phivolcs advised residents in affected areas to remain outside the buildings.
The strong temblor sent panicked residents fleeing from their homes in the city of Iligan, in northern Mindanao, according to a local radio station, Brigada News FM.
Cracks appeared in the walls and ceiling of a hospital in the southern city of Kidapawan as doctors and nurses carried out an evacuation, the station reported.
Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio of Davao ordered the cancellation of all classes in public and private schools, saying the quake “may have caused structural and electrical damage to buildings and houses” in the city. Duterte-Carpio is the daughter of Rodrigo Duterte, the Philippine president.
“We ask our citizens to remain calm but vigilant and we urge them to refrain from spreading disinformation that may cause undue alarm, panic and stress to many people,” said Salvador Panelo, the spokesman.
Photos from the area showed some significant structural damage.
The earthquake was the second powerful quake to strike Mindanao in two weeks. A 6.3-magnitude quake struck the island on Oct. 16, killing at least five people.
“The location is almost the same as the one on Oct 16,” said Erlinton Olavere, a research specialist at the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology. “There is an existing fault” in the area, he said, adding that “the movements are still ongoing."
The earthquake also shook nearby provinces and cities, including Davao City, the hometown of President Rodrigo Duterte and among the most populous cities in the country.
DZMM radio reported that power cables were seen swinging in Davao, while people rushed to open spaces, with some fainting because of fear.
Classes in schools were suspended after the earthquake.
It also triggered power cuts in General Santos city, ANC news channel reported.
In Magsaysay, the town spokesman was reported to have said a teenage boy was reported crushed by a falling wall as he ran away from his school.
Other students were reportedly injured in a "stampede" to escape the building.
A collapsing wall in another town, Koronadal, killed a 66-year-old man, local authorities told AFP.
At least 50 people were hurt by falling debris, including some seven pupils and teachers hurt escaping their collapsed elementary school.
Local residents described panic after the shallow – and thus potentially more destructive – quake.
"Buildings were not just moving, they were swaying," Gadi Sorilla, a doctor at a hospital in Tulunan told AFP.
"I asked God for help," he said, adding the hospital had quickly received about 10 patients, some with head injuries.The quake was initially reported as being of 6.7 magnitude by the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC).
Earthquakes are common in the Philippines, which is on the geologically active Pacific Ring of Fire.
On Oct 16, a magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck central Mindanao, killing five people and injuring dozens.