Villagers help each other in clearing debris from a wall of a church that collapsed in Purok 3A, Barangay Tigabong, Cantilan town in Surigao del Sur, following a earthquake over the weekend. Many houses in the towns of Cantilan, Madrid, Carmen and Lanuza were damaged as a result of the magnitude 5.5 earthquake. (photo by Erwin Mascariñas)
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By FROILAN GALLARDO
Special Correspondent .

AT least 58 people were hurt when an earthquake struck Saturday morning affecting the towns in the eastern seaboard of Mindanao.

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Villagers help each other in clearing debris from a wall of a church that collapsed in Purok 3A, Barangay Tigabong, Cantilan town in Surigao del Sur, following a earthquake over the weekend. Many houses in the towns of Cantilan, Madrid, Carmen and Lanuza were damaged as a result of the magnitude 5.5 earthquake. (photo by Erwin Mascariñas)

Authorities said 26 people were injured in the municipality of Cantillan; another 17 people injured in nearby town of Madrid; 14 injured in the town of Carmen and an eight-year-old boy who was pinned down by a cabinet in the town of Lanuza.

“Damage to the highway and houses especially those poorly constructed were substantial,” Capt. Edgar Fernandez, chief of the Lanuza town police station told Gold Star Daily.

Fernandez said the highway in Carmen town sustained some damage and residents placed old tires to warn motorists of the danger.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said the magnitude 5.8 quake struck in the eastern seaboard of Mindanao at around 4:42 am Saturday.

The Philippine seismology office the quake was tectonic and recorded at a depth of five kilometers.

Office of Civil Defense in Caraga chief Liza Mazo said  the shallow quake collapsed the entire ceiling of the parish church in the town of Carmen.

Besides the church, Mazo said the quake damaged buildings and houses forcing residents to flee to the streets.

Mazo said two fire trucks in Madrid town were damaged when the fire station also collapsed.

“I held on the door because the quake was strong and I can barely stand,” Fernandez narrated.

Fernandez said electricity of the towns near the epicenter went out immediately after the quake struck.

Mazo said many of the patients were rushed to hospitals in Tandag City.

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