MANILA: A powerful earthquake struck the southern Philippines on Thursday, killing at least five people and sparking searches of seriously damaged buildings that had already been rattled by two previous deadly tremors in recent weeks.
The 6.5 magnitude quake hit the island of Mindanao, the US Geological Survey said, causing locals to run to safety in the same area where a strong tremor killed eight people on Tuesday.
The powerful shaking caused serious damage to a condominium building in the major southern city of Davao, about 45 kilometres (28 miles) from the epicentre.
Nine people were hurt at the building, and rescuers believed at least one was trapped in the rubble, a local disaster official said.
Five people were killed in nearby Cotabato province, including a local official who was crushed to death, a police officer said.
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