At least one person died and dozens were injured in the earthquake that hit the southern Philippines today, officials said.
The quake had a magnitude of 6,8, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS), with an epicenter 90 kilometers south of Davao, the capital of the large southern island of Mindanao.
According to officials, a three-story building collapsed in the earthquake, and teams are searching for possible victims under the ruins.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology put the earthquake's magnitude at 6,9, saying it struck an area about six kilometers from Padada, Davao del Sur province at a depth of 30 kilometers.
The area has been hit by a series of strong earthquakes in recent months.
A girl was killed in the area's Matanao town when a wall collapsed and hit her on the head, officials said.
The governor of the Davao del Sur area, Douglas Kagas, said that a three-story building containing a grocery store collapsed in the center of the town of Padada, and that the number of people trapped under the rubble is unknown.
He said that the number of people injured in the earthquake is still unknown.
Matanao Mayor Vincent Fernandes said the two-story town hall was damaged by the earthquake, as were two bridges and several buildings that had already been weakened by earlier quakes.
Fernandes appealed for food and tents for residents who need immediate shelter to escape the rainy weather. He said many buildings that could have been used as evacuation centers were damaged in the recent earthquakes.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is safe with his daughter at his home in Davao, where the quake was felt, presidential security chief General Jose Niembra said. He said the president went back to sleep after the earthquake.
Hospitals were evacuated as a precaution, and frightened people took to the streets, as aftershocks continued to be felt. Power was cut in some cities due to the earthquake, officials said.
Classes in schools in the province of Davao del Sur have been canceled for tomorrow, to check the stability of the school buildings.
Three earthquakes of magnitude greater than 6.0 struck the island of Mindanao within a few weeks of October, when more than a dozen people lost their lives and numerous buildings were damaged. Tens of thousands of people had to be moved to temporary accommodation due to the insecurity of their homes.
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