Philippines Earthquake: 6.8 Quake Kills Child as Pacific Tremors Increase (VIDEO)
A 6.8 magnitude earthquake hit the Philippines Monday, reportedly killing a child.
The child was crushed by a concrete fence from a damaged home, The Associated Press reported from the Office of Civil Defense. The quake struck northeast of Dumaguete, Negros Island reportedly causing some to flee their jobs, schools and public places.
Renato Solidum, head of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said that the quake may have damaged weaker buildings. A mall in San Carlos city, located near Negros Occidental province, was hit which resulted in windows shattering.
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The quake depth was 29 miles and struck 44 miles north of Dumaguete, a city on Negros Island according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology issued a tsunami alert for central Philippines.
The alert warned of a wave along the coast of the island that could reach over 3 ft, which may also span over Cebu City. The city is Philippines second largest, and felt the earthquake for about 30 seconds.
The Philippines is located in an area of the Pacific Ocean where earthquakes are common, and multiple people took to Twitter early on Monday to offer and ask for prayers.
One native Filipino took to Twitter to ask that people pray for the country.
"Magnitude 6.8 Please keep my home country, Philippines, in your thoughts and prayers," the user wrote.
Another person encouraged other Twitter users to pray.
"Magnitude 6.8 earthquake strikes off Negros-Cebu," the person tweeted. "Let's pray."
6.8 Earthquake Hits the PhilippinesWhile the Philippines is located in the West Pacific Ocean, the country of Vanuatu located in the South Pacific experienced close to a 7.3 magnitude quake just days before. Seismologist Eddie Leask, from Geoscience Australia, told Radio Australia's "Pacific Beat" that the region was experiencing a number of higher magnitude earthquakes in recent days.
"This was an aftershock to be precise," he said. "A couple of days ago at about half past midnight on the third of February our time, there was a magnitude 7.3 near Vanuatu in roughly the same region, and since then there's been, we've measured eleven earthquakes over magnitude five in the region, including six over magnitude six."
