ISTANBUL, Turkiye: More than 66,000 families were affected by two strong earthquakes that struck the southern Philippines hours apart on Friday, Anadolu Ajansi reported, citing officials and local media.
Nelson Dayanghirang, Governor of Davao Oriental, said on Saturday that about 100 houses were destroyed while around 500 others were partially damaged, ABS-CBN reported.
The government in Davao Oriental – the country’s worst-hit region – has declared a state of emergency.
According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, hundreds of people evacuated to safe areas after their houses were damaged.
At least eight people were reported killed.
A second strong earthquake with a magnitude of 6.7 struck off the southern Mindanao region just hours after a 7.4-magnitude quake hit the same area, triggering a tsunami warning that was later cancelled and prompting coastal evacuations.
No complete estimate of damage to infrastructure and agriculture has yet been released.
Over 800 aftershocks were also recorded as of Saturday, as another magnitude 5.8 earthquake jolted waters off Davao Oriental. – BERNAMA-ANADOLU
