Quake topples lamp, burns house in Agusan del Sur

MANILA, Philippines—Roughly P50,000-worth of properties were destroyed after an earthquake that rocked several provinces in the Visayas and Mindanao toppled a lamp and burned a house in Agusan del Sur Friday evening, police said.

Police Officer 2 Bombie Ancla said fire gutted a house along Purok 5, Sitio Babadan in Barangay (village) Libertad in Bunawan, Agusan del Sur at 9:10 p.m., but no one was injured.

“As per initial investigation, natumba yung lampara kaya nagkaron ng sunog sa loob,” Ancla said, noting that the house is owned by one Joselito Galbano.

He said, however, investigators have yet to identify other circumstances in the incident.

The fire was completely put out by 9:25 p.m. Friday.

A 7.6-magnitude earthquake hit the sea area east of Eastern Samar Friday evening prompting a tsunami alert warning 3 across the region, seismologists earlier said.

Residents living near coastal areas in affected areas have been evacuated from their houses to higher ground.