Large Shopping Mall Ceiling Collapses... Philippines in Chaos After Magnitude 6.7 Earthquake

Death Reported at Philippine Shopping Mall
Video of Earthquake Shared on SNS

A strong earthquake struck the Philippines, killing at least six people and leaving two missing. Videos showing the ceiling collapse at a large shopping mall where fatalities occurred are being shared mainly on social media platforms.

According to foreign media on the 18th, a magnitude 6.7 earthquake with a depth of 70 km occurred at 4:14 PM the previous day in Sarangani Province on Mindanao Island in southern Philippines.

Inside the shopping mall 'SM City General Santos Mall' during the strong earthquake on Mindanao Island, Philippines
[Photo by X (formerly Twitter)]

As a result, the concrete wall of a building in a village in South Cotabato Province collapsed, killing a couple, and a female customer inside a shopping mall also died. At least two people died and two went missing due to landslides in nearby Sarangani Province, and a 78-year-old man died after being crushed by rocks in Davao Occidental Province.

Videos filmed by people inside the South Cotabato Province shopping mall 'SM City General Santos Mall,' where fatalities occurred during the earthquake, are spreading mainly on X (formerly Twitter). The videos show the building ceiling and some structures collapsing like sheets of paper, and people running away from the debris.

A customer who was dining at the mall at the time said, "We could do nothing but hide under the table," adding, "People fled to the lower floors, but I was scared because it seemed like a crowd would form. Then, all the lights went out and people screamed."

Footage taken inside the shopping mall 'SM City General Santos Mall' during the strong earthquake on Mindanao Island, Philippines. [Video by X (formerly Twitter)]

In the actual released videos, people are screaming, terrified, and breaking down in tears.

The Philippines is located on the Pacific Ring of Fire, known for frequent earthquakes and volcanic activity. In July last year, a magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck Abra Province, causing landslides and ground fissures that killed 11 people and injured hundreds. On October 25 of the same year, a magnitude 6.4 earthquake near Dolores in Abra Province on Luzon Island in northern Philippines injured dozens and damaged buildings.

Meanwhile, the Philippines has almost resumed electricity supply and road traffic that were suspended after the earthquake.