'Collapsed in an Instant'... At Least 19 Dead in 7.8 Magnitude Earthquake in the Philippines

[Anchor]

A powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake has struck off the southern coast of the Philippines, leaving at least 19 people dead. It is the strongest earthquake to hit the Philippines this year, and with reports of missing persons continuing to come in, the death toll is expected to rise.

Report by Park Won-gyeong.

[Reporter]

Over 100 students are gathered in an open space in front of an elementary school.

The ground shakes violently several times, causing the shelter roof in the open space to collapse, and the children scatter while screaming.

[Watch out! Watch out!]

A high school building has also collapsed, and a shopping center in the city has crumbled, sending plumes of gray dust into the air.

At 7:37 a.m. local time, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake occurred at a depth of about 33 km, with its epicenter located approximately 32 km southwest of the southern Philippine city of General Santos.

It was the largest earthquake to hit the Philippines this year, and the epicenter was relatively shallow at about 33 km deep.

Aftershocks, including one reaching a magnitude of 6.5, have followed. So far, at least 19 people have been confirmed dead, and over 200 have been injured.

With reports of students being trapped under collapsed school buildings and numerous missing persons reports coming in, the number of casualties is expected to increase.

Schools on the Philippine island of Mindanao, where the earthquake struck, were marking their first day of school after the April to May break.

[Clare Castro / Undersecretary of the Presidential Communications Office of the Philippines: All school classes in the affected areas are suspended. Please evacuate to higher and safer ground immediately.]

The earthquake also triggered a tsunami, with waves reaching up to 1.4 meters hitting the Philippines, while waves of 83 cm were observed in neighboring Indonesia.

The Philippines, where the earthquake occurred, is located along the so-called "Ring of Fire," the Pacific seismic belt.

It is a boundary where tectonic plates meet, and 90% of the world's earthquakes occur along this Ring of Fire. The Philippines, along with Japan and Indonesia, is one of the countries where earthquakes occur most frequently.

(Video Editing: Jo Mu-hwan, Graphics: Jang Chae-woo)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.