[Anchor]
A powerful 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck off the southern coast of the Philippines this morning (June 8), leaving at least 19 people dead. It is the strongest earthquake to hit the Philippines this year, and with reports of missing persons continuing to come in, the death toll is expected to rise.
Reporter Park Won-kyung has the story.
[Reporter]
About 100 students had gathered in an open space in front of an elementary school.
The ground shook violently several times, causing the canopy covering the area to collapse, as children screamed and scattered in panic.
[Watch out! Watch out!]
A high school building also collapsed, and a shopping center in the city crumbled, sending thick clouds of dust into the air.
The 7.8-magnitude earthquake occurred at 7:37 a.m. local time today, with its epicenter located about 32 kilometers southwest of the southern Philippine city of General Santos.
It was the largest earthquake to strike the Philippines this year, and the depth of the epicenter was relatively shallow at approximately 33 kilometers.
A series of aftershocks, with the strongest reaching a magnitude of 6.5, followed. So far, at least 19 people have been confirmed dead, and over 200 have been injured.
With reports coming in of students trapped under collapsed school buildings and many others reported missing, the number of casualties is expected to increase.
Schools on the Philippine island of Mindanao, where the earthquake struck, had just finished their April-May break, and today, Monday, was the first day of the new school term.
[Clare Castro / Undersecretary of the Presidential Communications Office of the Philippines: All classes in the affected areas are suspended. Please evacuate to higher and safer ground immediately.]
The earthquake also triggered a tsunami, with waves reaching up to 1.4 meters hitting the Philippines, while waves of 83 centimeters were observed in neighboring Indonesia.
The Philippines, where today's earthquake occurred, is located along the so-called "Ring of Fire," the Pacific seismic belt.
It is a boundary where tectonic plates meet, and 90% of the world's earthquakes occur along this ring. The Philippines, along with countries like Japan and Indonesia, is one of the most earthquake-prone nations in the world.
Video Editing: Jo Mu-hwan | Graphics: Jang Chae-woo
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.