Lynlyn Empleo doubts she will be able to sleep tonight after experiencing a powerful earthquake that jolted her central Philippine province of Cebu. Empleo, 26, was feeding her year-old baby when tables and chairs at home shook violently and figurines on the bookshelf crashed to the floor. "The house was swaying and shaking at the same time," she said. "I keep feeling the movements when I lie down and close my eyes. I think I will stay awake tonight."
The 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck in Bohol province, 640 kilometres south of Manila, as people had breakfast. It tore down many old buildings in Bohol and nearby Cebu, officials said. At least 77 people died in the quake, and the death toll was expected to rise as rescuers continued search operations. Many homes suffered cracks in walls and floors, and windows of some buildings were shattered. Roads cracked open and liquefied in some areas.
"There is a possibility that tonight no one will be able to sleep," Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama said, noting that it was the first time the province of nearly 4 million people has been hit by a powerful earthquake. "I saw buildings swinging," he said. "I don't think it will be easy for people to close their eyes tonight." In Bohol, thousands of residents were planning to stay out of their homes overnight.
"We are leaving our home to stay at an evacuation centre tonight," said Antonio Seismundo, a tourist van driver residing in Lila town. "It could be dangerous at night. We're still having a lot of strong aftershocks." Seismundo, 41, a father of four children, said his home's roof caved in a little during the earthquake. Bohol provincial Governor Edgardo Chatto said authorities were looking for temporary shelter for people afraid to return home.
"Many people are not yet comfortable to return to go back home," he said. Chatto also appealed to residents to keep calm amid rumours circulating that the earthquake could trigger a tsunami. "Bohol is surrounded by islands, the possibility of a tsunami is remote," he said. Power lines were knocked down in Bohol, a province of more than 1.25 million people. Some areas of Cebu were also without electricity.
Manny Francisco, an editorial cartoonist from Singapore who was spending a one-month vacation with his wife in Cebu, said he was worried about food. "We might cut our vacation short depending on the situation tomorrow," he said. "The problem right now is we weren't able to buy food earlier." Shopping malls and stores were closed while authorities inspected damage amid strong aftershocks. Francisco said he felt the vibrations pushing him upward during the earthquake. "I told my wife to stay at the sofa because I was thinking it would stop. But instead, the shaking became stronger," he said. "I have experienced earthquakes before, but none this terrifying. It was very terrifying.
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