Central Philippines has been trembled by an earthquake Monday with a magnitude of 6.8. The calamity has damaged buildings and caused landslides that covered 30 houses with soil resulting to the death of 13 people.

One of the major areas got affected was Guihulngan, one of the cities in the Negros Island where the 6.8-magnitude earthquake originated. There are about 180,000 people living in the city in which 29 were missing according to Mayor Ernesto Reyes.

The mayor said there were 10 people confirmed dead that include college and elementary students. Some were from the market, which also collapsed due to the incident. About 100 people were discovered injured by the shocking event.

The shaking surprised the country at 11.49 a.m. (0349 GMT) which set off another landslide in La Libertad, Negros Oriental. It trapped an unidentified number of residents, who were currently searched by rescuers.

A tsunami alert was then briefly announced by the Philippine seismologists on the central islands. The seas started to react bringing in huge waves to nearby cottages and beach resorts, but police said there were no signs of injuries. The epicenter was declared nearest to Tayasan, a home to 32,000 people.

Two people were reported dead, including a child when a concrete fence collapsed. Another child got killed when the church's wall fell down. Alfred Vicente Silvosa, Tayasan police officer, said people were frightened to return to their houses due to aftershocks.

Everyone is staying at the town plaza. Inspecting buildings has not yet been pursued because of the threat that another aftershock would cause establishments to fall down and also because a three-storey building collapsed in La Libertad. Everyone managed to get out and escaped the disaster.

Following the occurrence of the 6.8-magnitude earthquake between Cebu and Negros islands were canceled classes, suspended work, and power blackouts.


Earthquake Tsunami