7.8 Magnitude earthquake hits Philippines

A massive earthquake struck the Mindanao region of the Philippines, causing widespread devastation. Bloomberg reported the quake’s magnitude as 8.1 on the Richter scale. The magnitude was later revised to 7.8. More than 15 people were reported to have died and nearly 200 were injured. The quake was centered just 10 kilometers below the surface, making it more severe. The quake caused several buildings to collapse. People ran out of their homes in fear for their lives. A large shed set up for children on a school grounds collapsed. Teachers who were alerted earlier were able to evacuate the students to a safe area, averting a major disaster.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said the earthquake posed a tsunami threat to coastal areas. It warned of a risk of large waves hitting the coasts of the Philippines, Indonesia, Palau, Taiwan, and Papua New Guinea for the next few hours. Authorities have already declared a high alert as waves of about three feet high have already reached the Philippine coast. The Indonesian Meteorological Agency has also predicted that tsunami waves of up to three meters high may occur in the Borneo and Sulawesi regions. Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has responded strongly to this disaster. He ordered people in coastal areas to immediately move to higher ground without any delay. He urged them to strictly follow government orders, saying that lives are more valuable than property. As per the president’s orders, schools in the affected areas of Mindanao have been declared holidays.