THIS is the heartbreaking moment a massive 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck the Philippines just as a bride was about to walk down the aisle.
Dramatic footage shared online shows a Catholic ceremony in a rural church in Maniki, Kapalong, Davao del Norte abruptly thrown into panic as the ground violently shakes.
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Wooden pews rattled, windows shook back and forth and floral decorations were swinging wildly as terrified guests screamed and ran for the exits.
As the church trembled, the bride was seen clinging to a pillar outside, steadying herself as the ground heaved beneath her feet.
Guests spilled out into the churchyard, some crouching on the ground in fear as the powerful quake continued to rumble.
The quake, which hit 12 miles off the coast of Davao Oriental at a shallow depth of six miles on October 10, rocked the church for more than a minute.
One godmother reportedly fainted in the chaos, while furniture and decorations crashed to the floor around panicked worshippers.
Yet amid the terror, the couple’s love endured.
Moments after the shaking stopped, they exchanged vows outdoors in a powerful show of strength.
The massive tremor was among the strongest in recent years.
It struck just after midday and was felt across much of Mindanao, sending people pouring into the streets and prompting a “destructive tsunami” warning.
At least two people were killed in Mati City, Davao Oriental, officials confirmed, as thousands were ordered to evacuate coastal areas.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre later said the immediate threat had passed, but cautioned that waves of up to a metre could still hit parts of Indonesia and Palau.
Elsewhere in Davao City, videos showed office workers clinging to desks as buildings groaned under the force of the quake.
Cabinets toppled and crowds gathered outside after hurried evacuations.
A disaster official in nearby Manay, close to the epicentre, said the shaking lasted 30 to 40 seconds, damaging homes, cracking roads and rendering bridges impassable.
The governor of Davao Oriental confirmed several buildings had been damaged.
President Ferdinand Marcos vowed that the government was working “round the clock” to respond.
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“We are now assessing the situation on the ground and ensuring that everyone is safe,” he said.
“Search, rescue, and relief operations are already being prepared and will be deployed as soon as it is safe to do so.”
The Philippines sits on the volatile Pacific “Ring of Fire”, where over 800 quakes strike each year — more than 20 of them above magnitude 6.
The latest disaster comes just two weeks after a deadly 6.9 quake off Cebu island killed 74 people, toppling buildings, triggering landslides and trapping victims under rubble.
Around half of the deaths occurred in Bogo, a coastal town of 90,000, while others died when a landslide buried a mountain village.
Even a basketball game turned deadly in San Remigio, where three coastguards and a firefighter were among five killed when the quake struck.
Experts say the latest quake is a stark reminder of the region’s seismic vulnerability.
Shallow quakes like Thursday’s tend to cause more damage because the energy is released closer to the surface
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