Philippine officials say that years of disaster-preparedness drills helped prevent a larger casualty toll when one of the strongest earthquakes in 50 years struck the south. It left 46 people dead with 38 others still missing. The 7.8 magnitude offshore quake struck Monday off the southern province of Sarangani. The temblor also injured about 688 people and displaced more than 45,000 people. About half the displaced were still in emergency shelters on Friday. The quake damaged more than 12,600 houses across farming towns and cities. Provincial officials said that many were still too traumatized to return home because of strong aftershocks.
Rescuers are searching ruined buildings in the southern Philippines to ensure no one was still trapped a day after the strongest earthquake to hit the country in a half-century killed at least 37 people and displaced more than 32,000. Only four people were considered missing on official records in the southern provinces near where the 7.8 magnitude quake struck Monday morning. However, the Office of Civil Defense acknowledged several collapsed and heavily damaged buildings must be thoroughly inspected for possible survivors or casualties. The earthquake was centered off Mindanao and displaced more than 20,000, most of whom fled to emergency shelters.
A series of small earthquakes rattled the San Francisco Bay Area in an area that's had a lot of seismic activity in recent months. The most powerful of Monday's quakes was a magnitude 4.2 that struck shortly after 7 a.m. just south of San Ramon, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. At least a dozen other smaller quakes struck in the same area starting around 6:30 a.m. and continuing for more than an hour. There were no immediate reports of damage. Bay Area Rapid Transit said delays could result from trains briefly running at reduced speeds during track safety inspections. Shaking was felt more than 30 miles away in San Francisco.
A strong earthquake rattled southern and central Mexico, interrupting President Claudia Sheinbaum's first press briefing of the new year as seismic alarms sounded. Friday's quake had a preliminary magnitude of 6.5 and its epicenter was near the town of San Marcos in the southern state of Guerrero near the Pacific coast resort of Acapulco, according to Mexico's national seismological agency. The U.S. Geological Survey said the earthquake occurred at a depth of 21.7 miles (35 kilometers). There were no immediate report of damage or casualties.
On Dec. 26, 2004, a 9.1-magnitude earthquake beneath the Indian Ocean off the Indonesian island of Sumatra triggered a tsunami with waves up to 100 feet (30 meters) high that killed about 230,000 people across a dozen countries as far as East Africa. The worst-affected countries were Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India and Thailand.
A powerful 7.5-magnitude earthquake has struck off northern Japan, injuring over 20 people and triggering a tsunami. The quake hit late Monday, about 80 kilometers off the coast of Aomori. Officials have reported a tsunami of up to 70 centimeters in some areas. The Fire and Disaster Management Agency says 23 people are injured, mostly by falling objects. Nuclear power plants are conducting safety checks, and some train services are suspended. The Japan Meteorological Agency is warning of possible aftershocks and increased risk of a megaquake.
