No Taiwanese casualties reported after Mindanao earthquake: Group

Manila, June 8 (CNA) A Davao-based Taiwanese business group said Monday that no casualties or injuries among Taiwanese nationals have been reported so far after a major earthquake struck the southern Philippine island of Mindanao, causing significant damage.

Ho Chien-yi (何見意), who heads the Mindanao Taiwan Chambers of Commerce (MTCC), told CNA that there are roughly 30 Taiwanese nationals currently living in Mindanao and that no issues were reported as of Monday afternoon.

According to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck just off the coast of southern Mindanao at 7:37 a.m. at a depth of 35 kilometers, with its epicenter about 24 kilometers west of Sarangani Province.

In General Santos City, the biggest city near the earthquake's epicenter, the temblor's intensity reached an 8, a level described as "very destructive" on the Phivolcs 10-level intensity scale.

Even in Davao, the largest city in Mindinao about 140 kilometers from General Santos, where the intensity level was a 5, the shaking was extremely strong and "enough to make people feel dizzy," said Ho, who lives in Davao.

Though Davao is far from the epicenter, some buildings in the city also collapsed, and additional damage reports could emerge in the coming days, Ho cautioned.

"Many houses are built by residents themselves and may not meet structural standards, so the true extent of the damage will likely only become clearer after tomorrow," he said.

A Taiwanese businessman surnamed Hou (侯), who has worked in the seafood processing industry in General Santos for more than a decade, said the shaking was extremely strong and lasted more than a minute.

"Quite a lot of buildings in the city collapsed," he said, adding that some areas remained without electricity and that the local government has announced the suspension of work and school.

At least two Taiwanese businesspeople currently operate aquaculture and feed mill businesses in Digos City, located between Davao and General Santos.

Lin Teng-feng (林登峰), president of the Taiwan Association Inc. Philippines, an organization that assists Taiwanese business owners in the country, told CNA that sea surges intensified after the quake, with waves reaching about 3 meters and seawater spilling onto coastal roads in some areas.

Lin, who operates a net cage aquaculture business, said rough sea conditions had prevented workers from going out to inspect the fish farms, making it impossible to assess damage.

According to Rodrigo Sosmeña, director of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) in Region 12 of the Philippines, 15 people had been confirmed dead as of 2 p.m., including seven in General Santos.

He added that at least 129 people were injured in Region 13 alone, while 15,077 households -- about 70,000 people -- had been forced to evacuate or displaced.

Region 13 consists of General Santos City and the provinces of Sarangani, Cotabato, South Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat.