21 killed, hundreds injured as earthquakes hit Philippines' Mindanao

A general view shows a damaged building after a 6.5-magnitude earthquake hit Kidapawan town, north Cotabato province, on the southern island of Mindanao on October 31, 2019. / VCG Photo

A magnitude-5.5 earthquake struck Sarangani Province in Philippines' Mindanao on Friday morning, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology reported.

The institute said the quake struck at 10:33 a.m. local time at a depth of 33 kilometers, and more aftershocks were expected.

This is the latest quake as the country recovers from two powerful earthquakes, which left at least 21 dead and 432 injured this week, according to the latest report by the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (NDRRMC) on Sunday.

Two people are still missing.

Currently, 35,661 families have been affected by the quake, and 21,810 people have been taken to 30 evacuation centers, said NDRRMC's Sunday report.

At least one hotel on the island has been damaged, local media said, showing a photo of a partly destroyed hotel in Kidapawan City.

The hotel reportedly housed other businesses but there was no one inside, Kidapawan City Mayor Joseph Evangelista told DZMM radio.

The powerful shake also caused serious damage to buildings in several major towns and cities on the island, including Davao City.

(Cover: A condominium building is seen after sustaining heavy damage from a magnitude-6.5 earthquake in Davao City, Mindanao, the Philippines, October 31, 2019. / Reuters Photo)