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Powerful Philippines Earthquake Kills And Injures Several, Impacting Asia

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News

MANILA/BALI (Worthy News) – The Philippines’ second-largest island of Mindanao was coping Sunday with the aftermath of one or more powerful earthquakes that reportedly killed at least one person and prompted calls for prayers amid fears of a “destructive tsunami.”

The U.S. Geological Survey measured the first tremor late on Saturday at 7.6 magnitudes and the one that followed shortly afterward at 6.4. Yet the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said the quakes measured 7.4 and 6.1.

There was some confusion about whether the second reported earthquake should be counted as among the roughly 200 aftershocks that reportedly struck off the coast of Hinatuan in Mindanao’s Surigao del Sur province.

The initial most powerful quake shook the area at 10:37 p.m. local time on Saturday at a depth of 25 kilometers (16 miles), said the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology. Its epicenter was located 30 kilometers (19 miles) northeast of Hinatuan town, authorities said.

A mother reportedly died in Tagum City in Mindanao’s Davao del Norte province following the first earthquake that hit the region.

The woman died after a wall of a collapsed house fell over her, several sources said. She was rushed to a hospital but was declared dead on arrival, local media reported.

Her husband and child also sustained injuries, officials said. The Tagum City Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) said it was continuing its “assessment” regarding the earthquakes.

PANICKED VILLAGERS

Panicked-stricken villagers could be seen fleeing to higher ground. However, after several hours, the U.S. Tsunami Warning System said the tsunami threat “has passed.” Yet, “Minor sea level fluctuations may occur in some coastal areas,” it said in a statement.

But with aftershocks reported early Sunday, people were seen rushing out of buildings and staying in open areas after the first tremor. Earlier, residents of coastal regions of Surigao Del Sur and Davao Oriental had been told to evacuate to higher ground after the first earthquake at Mindanao’s eastern coast.

People in several towns near the quake’s epicenter were seen rushing out of buildings and staying in open areas. In Butuan City, patients were evacuated from a hospital.

In the Hinatuan municipality, crowds gathered at evacuation centers. With anxiety rising, Christians called for prayers. “Pray for us for our safety,” said Christian Emely Laga in a text message to Worthy News. “Few minutes ago, we had an earthquake here,” added Laga, a Bible study teacher and municipal worker who, along with her husband and children, already had been impacted by previous storms.

Further away in Japan, northeast of the Philippines, tsunami waves of up to 0.4 meters (1.3 feet) were later observed on some outlying islands after evacuation orders impacted thousands. There were also initial tsunami warnings in parts of Indonesia, but no damage was reported.

Japan and the Philippines are part of the Pacific “Ring of Fire” – a zone of significant seismic activity with one of the world’s most active fault lines.

But there was some hope Sunday that causalities would be fewer than expected across Asia despite the powerful earthquakes and aftershocks.