MANILA, July 6 (Xinhua) -- At least one man was killed in the 6.5 magnitude earthquake that struck the central Philippine province of Leyte on Thursday, local media reported.
A local official told radio DZBB in an interview that at least one dead man was retrieved from a two-storey commercial building that collapsed in Kananga, a town in Leyte Province. The official said that a woman who was injured was also rescued.
The building houses a pension house and a grocery store. Several rescue groups are reportedly in the area to help in the rescue operation.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said in a report that the magnitude 6.5 quake rocked 8 km southwest of Jaro, a town in Leyte province at 4:03 p.m. with a depth of 2 km.
The quake was felt strongest in Jaro and Kananga, Leyte. The institute said the quake was tectonic in origin, and was also felt in nearby provinces in the central Philippines, including Cebu City, Negros Occidental and Surigao del Norte.
Radio reports said that the quake caused students to panic and triggered power outages. The government disaster agency said aftershocks are expected but no tsunamis since the epicenter is on land.
