MANILA: A sudden wave of panic swept through parts of the southern Philippines on Wednesday when a strong offshore earthquake shook the region, forcing residents to rush for safety.
The magnitude 6.3 quake struck 32 kilometres southwest of Sarangani Island at 12:14 pm local time (0414 GMT), according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), with no tsunami warning issued and no immediate reports of casualties or major damage.
The USGS said the earthquake occurred at a depth of 62 kilometres, a measurement also reported by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.
The tremor struck while a large crowd had gathered at a local court on Sarangani Island to receive a government subsidy, according to rescuer Harly Sauro.
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“The shaking was quite strong. I saw people in panic. They were running and shouting,” Sauro told AFP.
He said many people were present at the court when the earthquake struck during the distribution of financial assistance, but everyone managed to remain safe.
“The earthquake came while the local government was giving a financial subsidy, so there were many people at the court, but everyone’s safe,” he added.
Sauro said that based on the initial assessment, authorities did not expect casualties or significant damage from the quake.
The latest tremor comes after a major earthquake on June 8 in nearby Mindanao that killed at least 76 people, damaged buildings and triggered landslides.
Scientists said the earlier quake was linked to movement along the Cotabato Trench, which caused parts of the seabed to rise by nearly two metres, exposing coral areas and affecting marine ecosystems.
Earthquakes are common in the Philippines, which sits along the Pacific “Ring of Fire” a zone of intense seismic activity stretching from Japan through Southeast Asia and across the Pacific Basin.
