An underwater earthquake with a powerful magnitude of 6.8 shook the southern Philippines on Friday, November 17. The tremor hit at 4:14 PM local time, 78 kilometers (48 miles) below the surface, off the coast of Sarangani province on the major southern island of Mindanao.

A married couple perished when the ceiling of a retail mall fell as people evacuated the building.

In a report by Time, an earthquake that was first recorded as having a magnitude of 7.2 was lowered to 6.8 by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) and posed no danger of a tsunami.

The Philippines has a history of frequent earthquakes. The nation is situated on the seismically active "Ring of Fire," a band of volcanoes that circles the Pacific Ocean.

(Photo : Ezra Acayan / Getty Images)
A 6.8 undersea earthquake hit the southern Philippines. It happened at 4:14 PM local time near Mindanao's Sarangani province.

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Evidence of Earthquake Destruction

Local TV footage seems to show people fleeing a hospital and taking cover on the floor of a retail center as the ground under them shakes violently in General Santos, South Cotabato.

Police confirmed that a man and his wife's bodies had been discovered buried behind a concrete wall outside of the wood factory where they had worked, local media ABS-CBN News reported.

The signs and antennas atop a 17-story skyscraper can be seen swaying in one video. Local media reported that everyone in the building had been successfully evacuated. The Old Buayan Bridge between General Santos and Sarangani is said to have sustained cracks and been closed due to the quake.

Meanwhile, radio host Leny Aranego reported to the local DZRH radio station that several walls had been broken and some computers had been knocked off their tables.

Radio station DZRH quoted PHIVOLCS director Teresito C. Bacolcol as claiming the quake was "destructive," so they "expect damage." Local media in the Philippines stated that there was a power outage in the country's southern regions. Students who had collapsed were receiving first aid as well as medical assistance, according to a post that was earlier made on Facebook by the Philippine Red Cross.

Reportedly, the airport in General Santos City experienced minimal damage, including hairline fractures along columns in the facility. They said that neither passengers nor staff had suffered any injuries.

Advisory From Local Government

General Santos City issued a warning to its residents via Facebook, telling them to "remain calm but vigilant" in the face of potential aftershocks.

In order to conduct structural integrity evaluations, city government operations had to be put on hold. Some government agencies were to keep operating, including those responsible for providing essential services like healthcare and food assistance.

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