Planet X Incoming: Panic, damage as three strong quakes hit Philippines
In addition, another apocalyptic hailstorm
A
trio of strong earthquakes damaged buildings and caused panicked
tourists to flee a popular dive resort near the Philippine capital on
Saturday, officials and eyewitnesses said.
There
were no immediate reports of casualties from the quakes, the strongest
of which hit the coast close to Mabini, a resort town south of Manila
famous for its marine life and coral reefs.
The
first 5.5-magnitude temblor struck inland at 3:08 pm (0708 GMT)
followed by a 5.9 quake just a minute later, according to a revised
report by the US Geological Service. The first quake was earlier
reported as 5.7 magnitude.
A 5.0 quake hit in the same region after another 20 minutes, according to US geologists.
"I
was in the pool taking diving lessons when the ground shook.... We all
climbed out and ran. Concrete slabs were falling," Filipino tourist
Arnel Casanova, 47, told AFP by telephone from a Mabini dive resort.
"When
I went back to my room the ceiling had collapsed and the glass windows
were broken, but so far everybody is safe," said Casanova, who was at
the resort with his 20-year-old son.
He said resort guests remained outside the damaged buildings more than an hour later as the area was hit with aftershocks.
The
quakes caused landslides which blocked two roads and damaged an old
church, a hospital and several houses in the area, local officials told
ABS-CBN television.
"We
are evacuating some people who live on the coast. We want them to stay
in a safe area tonight," Mabini Mayor Noel Luistro told the station.
He
said he expected at least 3,000 residents to move inland in case of
further aftershocks, although the state seismology office said there was
no threat of tsunamis.
"The town is full of tourists, both local and foreign this weekend," he added.
The
network also broadcast live footage of frightened commuters fleeing the
passenger terminal at the port of Batangas, near the epicentres.
The
quakes caused power outages across the region but caused no casualties,
Romina Marasigan, spokeswoman for the National Disaster Risk Reduction
and Management Council, told AFP.
In
Manila, about 100 kilometres (62 miles) away, AFP reporters saw people
running out of office buildings in the financial district.
The
Philippines lies on the so-called Ring of Fire, a vast Pacific Ocean
region where many of the world's earthquakes and volcanic eruptions
occur.
Saturday's
quakes were caused by the movement of a local fault, Philippine
Institute of Volcanology and Seismology chief Renato Solidum said on
ABS-CBN television.
A
6.5-magnitude quake killed eight people and left more than 250 injured
outside the southern city of Surigao in February, and another
5.9-magnitude tremor killed one person there last month.
Before
the Surigao quakes, the last lethal earthquake to hit the country was a
7.1-magnitude tremor that left more than 220 people dead and destroyed
historic churches when it struck the central islands in October 2013.
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