Mindanao, the earth still trembles: 3 dead in a 6.8-magnitude earthquake

Manila (AsiaNews / Agencies) - The death toll from the powerful 6.8 magnitude earthquake that struck the southern Philippines yesterday rose to three this morning, as rescuers used heavy equipment and bare hands to find survivors in a collapsed building.  The bodies of two women were extracted from the rubble of the Southern Trade Shopping Center, in the city of Padada (20km from the epicenter).  Instead, a six-year-old girl was killed when the wall of her house collapsed upon her during a night interrupted by numerous aftershocks.

The quake - the fifth in three months in the region - has damaged schools, destroyed homes and injured over 30 people, but largely spared large cities on the island of Mindanao, which is still recovering from a series of deadly earthquakes in  October.  The National Council for Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (Ndrrmc) reports that there have been widespread power outages and minor damage to over 300 houses and eight government buildings.

The cabinet secretary, Karlo Nograles, declares that the government has mobilized to assist all the victims.  "President Duterte - added Nograles - is closely monitoring the progress of the operations underway, to fully assess the damage caused by the earthquake;  all land units must work 24 hours a day to make sure everyone is safe and ready for any aftershocks ”.