At least 25 people were injured and many houses, churches and building damaged after a strong 5.5 magnitude earthquake rocked Surigao del Sur province in the Philippines on Saturday.
According to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), the tremor, which hit early in the morning on Saturday took place at a depth of 5 km, about 9 km southeast of Carrascal town in the northeast coast of Mindanao island.
Four neighbouring towns in Surigao del Sur province sustained damages from the tremor.
Office of Civil Defense Regional Director Liza Mazo said in a report that, 25 injured people were recorded across the region after the tremor and all victims were sent to nearby hospitals.
“So far the situation is still manageable”, Mazo added.
Aside from Lanuza and Carmen towns, a number of houses, buildings in the towns of Madrid and Cantilan were also damaged.
The Phivolcs said the earthquake, which was tectonic in origin, was also felt in some cities in southern Philippines and Cebu City in the central Philippines.
The institute said aftershocks were expected.