How to Get to the Bottom of the Philippine Earthquake

The Philippines is one of a handful of countries that still have no information about a powerful earthquake that killed at least 30,000 people and devastated much of the country. 

The earthquake, which struck on Thursday, caused widespread power outages, extensive damage to infrastructure, and a severe power surge that caused millions of people to cut off their water, gas, and electric power. 

In a statement released Thursday afternoon, the Philippine Department of Environment and Natural Resources said that it is investigating the cause of the earthquake, including whether a faultline broke off or whether it was caused by an underwater landslide or a dam collapse. 

“While we have no direct knowledge of the cause, we are working closely with the United States and China to determine what went wrong and to investigate the possible cause of this earthquake,” the statement said. 

Scientists say the magnitude-7.0 quake struck just north of the island of Palawan and had a magnitude of 5.3.

It shook houses, damaged power lines, and sent hundreds of thousands of people scrambling to power their homes.

According to the Philippine government, at least 18,000 homes were damaged in Palawan. 

President Rodrigo Duterte, in his state of the nation address, urged the public to heed warnings and prepare for the possibility of more powerful earthquakes, but did not elaborate on what he said was the likelihood of a larger-scale quake in the region.

“We cannot afford to wait for the worst.

We have to get out there,” he said.

“There is a lot of uncertainty.

And it will not be a matter of time before something bigger hits.

The next one will be big.” 

“The Philippines needs to prepare now for an earthquake that could kill hundreds of people, damage millions of dollars, and be a global disaster,” said the statement from the PHDOR.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) said it received about 5,000 tips on Thursday from people across the country, most of which came from the public. “

I will keep you updated.” 

The Philippine National Police (PNP) said it received about 5,000 tips on Thursday from people across the country, most of which came from the public. 

A man walks past a destroyed house in the town of Araneta, Leyte province, on Thursday in Leyte, Philippines.

The earthquake is believed to have been triggered by a landslide or dam collapse, the authorities said.

Many areas of Palawas southern city of Bacolod have been cut off, as well as the cities of Davao, Cebu, and Quezon City. 

Officials said a tsunami warning has been issued for parts of Mindanao and parts of Basilan, but it was not immediately clear whether the tsunami warnings would be extended to parts of Cebucas mountainous area, where many residents live. 

There were no reports of deaths in the earthquake.

In a video posted on social media, a woman said she was rescued from a collapsed building in a city near Palawan, where she was taken to a hospital for medical treatment.