At least 55 persons were injured, some of them children while some government buildings were also damaged when a 5.9 magnitude earthquake struck Friday afternoon in the provinces of Dinagat, Surigao del Norte and northeastern-tip city of Surigao.

The injured were admitted at Surigao City Miranda Hospital, Surigao City Medical Hospital and Caraga Regional Hospital in Surigao City. Other victims were treated as outpatients.

A child, and a student who were stepped on during the stampede at a mall and a teacher who was hit by an iron steel at a gymnasium are reportedly under serious condition at a hospital here. Their identities were not immediately known.

Surigao del Norte Gov. Sol F. Matugas said most of the injured are mall shoppers who were hit by broken glasses and stepped on at the newly opened Gaisano Capitol Mall during the stampede.

“People panicked when the quake hit the city. In some buildings especially the newly-built Gaisano Mall, cracks are seen on some parts. Some people inside Gaisano Mall ran outside the building after some of the grocery stands started to fall. The earthquake was strong, it was the strongest so far to hit the city,” said Phivolcs Surigao City officer-in-charge Engr. Daphne Egonia.

An estimated 5,000 people trooped to the mall, the first in Surigao City, when it had its grand opening Friday.

“We are still monitoring other reports from our disaster and quick response teams who are on the ground now,” said Gov. Matugas.

She said all disaster teams were already mobilized to get the actual result of damage of the earthquake that was recorded at 3:58 in the afternoon of Friday.

She said some parts of the city gym and provincial gymnasium has some damage and cracks.

A combined team of the city and provincial engineers and technical men personally led by Mayor Ernesto T. Matugas and Gov. Matugas made an inspection on damage of government structures.

The city and provincial Chief Executives temporarily banned the use of city and provincial gymnasiums as inspection of its structures is still going on.

An initial consolidated report also coming from the disaster councils and quick response teams from Dinagat Islands also stated that some government structures were partially damaged during the Friday earthquake.

“Thanks God that as of this time no casualty was reported,” said Dinagat Islands Gov. Jade Ecleo adding “it’s also good that our students were dismissed early before the earthquake struck our province”.

However, she said the concrete house of the Barangay chairman in Basilisa town and its 3 other nearby houses collapsed. Still no reported casualty in the collapsed 4 houses as of this time, the governor said.

The municipal building of Basilisa and the provincial capitol building of Dinagat has cracks on its structures.

The provincial Chief Executive temporarily banned the entry of people within the capitol building as provincial engineers and technical men are on the ground checking the safety nets and actual damage of the building.

The provincial disaster risk reduction council in Dinagat Islands province is still assessing the damage brought by the Friday temblor.

Phivolcs-Surigao report stated that the 5.9 magnitude earthquake on Friday was recorded at 3:58 p.m. and was traced 2 kilometers southwest of Dinagat Islands province, with a depth of 16 kilometers.

As of this posting, no reported aftershocks and the temblor was in tectonic origin, Phivolcs report added.

The Phivolcs bulletin further added that the quake was felt at Intensity 6 in Surigao City, Intensity 5 in General Luna, Surigao del Norte; San Ricardo, Southern Leyte; Intensity 4 in Carrascal, Surigao del Sur; Intensity 3 in Butuan City, Tolosa and Tacloban Leyte; Davao City; Bislig City; Borongan, Oras, Dolores, Eastern Samar; Intensity 2 in Cebu City; Sulat, Eastern Samar; and Intensity I in Hibok-Hibok, Camiguin.