OCD reports 1 killed due to 6.8 magnitude earthquake in Sarangani

MANILA, Philippines — A Davao Occidental resident was reportedly killed following the 6.8 earthquake that struck off the waters of Sarangani, Davao Occidental on Friday afternoon, according to the Office of Civil Defense (OCD).

OCD Administrator  Undersecretary Ariel Nepomuceno said they are still validating the fatality from Barangay Butuan in Jose Abad Santos.

Several houses and a school in Sarangani town were reported to have sustained damages, Nepomuceno said.

Meanwhile, Nepomuceno also raised the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Operations Center’s alert status to “blue,” requiring the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Philippine National Police, the Philippine Coast Guard, and the Bureau of Fire Protection to render duty to support response activities.

READ: Magnitude 6.8 earthquake jolts Sarangani

The tectonic quake occurred 30 kilometers southwest of the said area at 4:14 pm and had a shallow depth of 10 kilometers, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs).

READ: Phivolcs: No tsunami threat after 7.2 quake off Sarangani town, Davao Occidental

Phivolcs had initially pegged the quake at magnitude 7.2.