A powerful earthquake struck the Philippines today, sending schoolchildren fleeing from a collapsing roof as rescue teams scrambled to reach the injured. The quake, which hit the northern island of Luzon, caused panic and devastation, particularly in the town of Laoag where a school building partially caved in. Witnesses described children running through dust and debris as teachers shouted for calm. At least two students are reported missing, with emergency services digging through rubble to find them.
Local officials confirmed that the earthquake, measured at 6.3 magnitude by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, struck at around 9:15 AM local time. The epicenter was near the coast, and tremors were felt as far as Manila, where office workers evacuated buildings after alarms sounded. In Laoag, the roof of a primary school gave way under the stress of the shaking, trapping several children under collapsed beams. Rescue teams, including the military and local volunteers, worked frantically to free the trapped students.
“It was chaos,” said a teacher who declined to be named. “We were in the middle of a lesson when the building started shaking. Then the ceiling came down. I just screamed for everyone to get out.” The teacher added that most children managed to escape but some were still inside when the roof fell. Parents gathered at the school gates, desperate for news of their children.
The Philippine Red Cross has deployed teams to the area, setting up first aid stations and coordinating with hospitals to treat the injured. At least 15 people have been confirmed wounded from the earthquake, with additional reports of damage to homes and infrastructure. In the nearby city of Vigan, a historic church lost part of its bell tower, raising concerns about heritage structures.
The government has urged caution, warning of aftershocks and potential landslides. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said they are assessing the full extent of the damage. The earthquake-prone Philippines experiences frequent seismic activity, but this incident has renewed fears about building safety in schools. Many public schools are old and poorly maintained, a fact that has long been a concern for parents and educators.
One father, waiting outside the cordoned-off school, said: “My son called me, crying, saying he couldn’t breathe. I got here as fast as I could. They told me he is okay, but I won’t believe it until I see him.” Rescuers continued to search through the rubble as darkness fell, using floodlights and sniffer dogs.
The economic impact is also likely to be significant, with businesses in the affected area closed and transport disrupted. The local economy, already struggling from previous natural disasters, will face another blow. For the families of those caught in the collapse, the immediate concern is survival and reunion. The government promises to investigate why the school roof failed so catastrophically, but for now, the priority is finding the missing and treating the hurt.
