4.5 magnitude quake sends students rushing out of Cotabato buildings

Students rush to the open grounds of the Kidapawan National High School following the  4.5 magnitude quake that jolted Cotabato province at 9:03 a.m. on Thursday. WILLIAMOR MAGBANUA

KIDAPAWAN CITY –– Mayor Joseph A. Evangelista immediately suspended classes in all levels here following the 4.5 magnitude quake that sent students out of buildings and people out of their homes at 9:03 a.m. Thursday.

Evangelista also suspended work at City Hall.

The city is still recovering from the trauma of the series of strong quakes that rocked Cotabato province in October and December last year.

Students at the Kidapawan City National High School rushed out of their classrooms to safer grounds when the quake, whose epicenter was traced 14 km northwest of Makilala town, started shaking the building.

At least 8,000 high school students gathered at the open space of the school grounds following the shaking that lasted at least five seconds.

Most of the students were on the fourth floor having classes when the shaking started.

Jonathan Dulay, a senior high school student, said he felt dizzy when their classroom on the fourth floor started shaking.

The quake, which was tectonic in origin, had a depth of two kilometers and was felt at Intensity V in this city, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs).

Last year, a series of six magnitude quakes that hit Tulunan and Makilala towns in October left a trail of destruction, damaging buildings, and homes in this city and other towns of Cotabato and Davao del Sur.

Edited by Lzb