Powerful 6.7 Earthquake Hits Philippines

Voice of America
18 Nov 2023, 04:05 GMT+10

The U.S Geological Survey reports Friday a powerful 6.7 earthquake struck the Philippines, reportedly causing damage, including the collapse of a shopping mall ceiling near the quake's epicenter.

The USGS reports the earthquake struck at 8:14 UTC and was centered about 27 kilometers off the southern coast of the Philippines Mindano region, at a depth of about 77 km. International warning agencies said there was no threat of tsunami from the event.

The Philippines Institute of Volcanology and Seismology reported that aftershocks can be expected.

A security guard walks beside the damaged ceiling of a shopping mall in General Santos City, South Cotabato, southern Philippines, Nov. 17, 2023.

There were no confirmed initial reports of injuries, though the powerful quake was felt across a wide area of the mountainous island nation.

There were scattered initial reports of damage to buildings near the epicenter of the quake. Video posted to social media showed people screaming and running for cover as a large portion of a shopping mall ceiling could be seen collapsing in General Santos City, less than a hundred kilometers from the epicenter.

While Friday's event was unusually powerful, the USGS reports earthquakes are common in the Philippines, located near the convergence of several major tectonic plates in the south Pacific Ocean.

Some information from this report was provided by the Associated Press, Reuters and the French new agency, AFP.

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