&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Philippines earthquake kills at least 15: Scary video shows schoolchildren crying for help amid deadly tremors")
Scary scenes unfolded in Philippines as 7.8 magnitude earthquake battered the country on Monday (June 8). A series of powerful aftershocks also rocked the area from about two hours after the first quake, according to the United States Geological Survey, with the largest measuring 6.5 on the Richter scale. Police confirmed to AFP that at least 15 people have died and over 200 were injured. Earthquakesare common in thePhilippines, which is situated on the Pacific "Ring of Fire."
School students panic as tremors begin
A video on social media showed panic at a school within the coastal province of Davao Occidental as the earth violently shook. Some students screamed for help while others looked clueless as teachers hugged the kids to protect them. The video is reportedly from Mahayahay Elementary School in Philippines' Barangay Kilalag. At 7:37 am, the students had gathered on the ground of the school for morning assembly and flag-raising ceremony when strong tremors shook the region. Video shared by the Department of Education (DepEd) shows young students in school uniforms crying out in panic, grabbing onto one another and their teachers trying to calm them down to avoid a stampede like situation. A tin-roofed structure behind students collapsed as tremors continued.
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Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos suspended classes in affected areas of Mindanao island on what was to have been the first day of school, while calling on residents in coastal areas to evacuate immediately. "Move to higher ground now. Do not wait," he said."Your life is more important than anything left behind." The airport in General Santos was also closed until further notice, officials said.
