Philippine quake death toll rises to five
The death toll from a strong earthquake off the southern Philippines rose to five on Saturday as authorities reported more casualties across two provinces. The 6.7-magnitude quake that struck the Mindanao region mid-afternoon on Friday caused part of a shopping mall ceiling to collapse, triggered power cuts and sent people fleeing into the streets. Falling debris from the mall in General Santos City crushed a woman to death, while 19 other people were treated for shock, said city police captain Ari Noel Cardos. Police earlier reported the death of a couple pinned under a collapsing concrete wall in General Santos, where about 30 students were also treated for breathing difficulties. Another person was killed by a falling steel structure in the municipality of Glan, in Sarangani province, said police officer Paul Mesalido. Glan police were dispatched on Saturday to check on a reported landslide in a nearby village, Mesalido added. In neighbouring Davao Occidental province, an elderly man was struck dead by a large rock that rolled down a hill near his house, said police officer Patrick Laurente. (AFP)