Philippines hunts for survivors after quake levels trade building

Rescue teams in the southern Philippines searched for signs of life on Monday in a collapsed shopping center after a powerful earthquake that killed at least three people and wounded dozens more.

Disaster response officials said five people were believed to be trapped in the rubble of the Southern Trade Shopping Centre in Padada, a town on the island of Mindanao located about 20 kms (12 miles) from the epicenter of Sunday’s quake.

Rescuers were using chainsaws and thermal imaging equipment to look for survivors, but said there was little hope of finding anyone alive. “It’s very distressing. There’s a very slim chance of finding survivors,” regional disaster official Christopher Tan told CNN Philippines.

A six-year-old girl was killed when the wall of her house collapsed on her during the 6.8 magnitude quake, the fifth to hit the region since October. Rescuers also recovered the bodies of two women during a night disrupted by several aftershocks. A further 31 people were injured, said Francis Irag, regional information officer.