Magnitude 6.7 Earthquake Shakes Southern Philippines

A magnitude 6.7 earthquake hit the southern Philippines on Friday, killing at least one and injuring dozens of others, officials said.  No tsunami warning was in effect.

According to the German Research Center for Geosciences (GFZ), the quake struck off the coast of Mindanao, the second-largest island in the archipelago, at a depth of 60 kilometers (37.3 miles). 

The quake damaged several buildings, including the town's municipal office and a shopping mall, which collapsed. Electricity has also been knocked out as a result, Angel Dugaduga, a disaster response official in the coastal town of Glan told Reuters.

Per Dugaduga, initial reports indicate one person is deceased but at least 18 are injured.

While earthquakes are common in the Philippines, this one was felt across wide areas of the country and marked as one of the “strongest,” people told AFP. Many quakes are considered too light to be felt by humans.

Videos and photos shared on Facebook and verified by AFP depict collapsed ceilings inside a shopping mall and terrified shoppers in another screaming. 

"We were on the second floor so there was nothing we could do but duck under the tables," said Gregorio Narajos, who shot one of the videos.

"Power went out two or three seconds into the quake. It came back after a while," Narajos said. "I saw stuff falling from the ceiling. When we got out we saw cracks and debris outside."

In an interview with tDZRH radio, PHIVOLCS director Teresito Bacolcol said the earthquake's intensity was "destructive, so we would expect damage.”

He said that the earthquake lasted several seconds and advised residents to be on alert for aftershocks as strong as magnitude 6.2.

The Philippine Red Cross shared on Facebook that it is “providing first aid and medical attention to students who collapsed."