No Filipinos affected in China quake, so far –DFA

DFA spokesman Raul Hernandez. CATHY MIRANDA/INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Foreign Affairs said that as of Friday evening, there were no reports of Filipinos killed or hurt by the two earthquakes that struck southwest China on Friday.

“So far, there are no reports of Filipinos hurt or affected by the earthquake in China,” Raul Hernandez, DFA spokesperson, said in a text message.

At least 43 people were killed and 150 injured when two shallow earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.6 struck southwest China on Friday, officials said.

Another 100,000 people were made homeless by the quakes, which struck on the border of Southwestern Yunnan and Guizhou provinces around the middle of the day.

An online statement issued by the public affairs bureau in Yunnan’s Zhaotong city said 43 people had been killed there and 20,000 houses had collapsed or been damaged.

The US Geological Survey said the first quake struck at 11:20 a.m. (0320 GMT) at a depth of around 10 kilometers (six miles), with a second quake around an hour later. Both had a magnitude of 5.6.