A powerful earthquake of 6.8 magnitude struck Sarangani in the Philippine province of Davao Occidental on Friday afternoon, sending shockwaves through Davao City. The impact of the quake extended beyond Davao Occidental, affecting various parts of the Davao region and neighbouring areas, and resulting in several incidents.
The unexpected seismic activity even caused a crane to come crashing down from atop a multi-storeyed building which was under construction at Barangay Gravahan in New Matina, Davao City.
The short clip on Facebook received numerous comments from concerned netizens, including from one user who said, “Praying for your safety,” while another posted, “Keep safe everyone!”
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The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) initially reported the magnitude of the earthquake as 7.2, later revising it to 6.8 in an updated bulletin at 5.40 pm. The epicentre was identified to be 34 km northwest of Sarangani Island or Sarangani town in Davao Occidental, at a depth of 72 km, attributed to tectonic activity.
Watch a video of the incident below;
Earlier in the day, classes were suspended in public and private schools and government offices implemented a work-from-home arrangement, anticipating adverse weather conditions including heavy rain and thunderstorms. However, the city was caught off guard as the tremors hit at 4.14 pm, impacting various parts of the region.
Rescue and relief operations are underway, with local authorities coordinating efforts to assess the aftermath of the tremors and address it.
