Manila, Philippines, Apr 24, 2019 / 15:09 pm
Catholic leaders have offered prayers for the Philippines after two earthquakes struck the region this week.
A magnitude-6.1 earthquake hit the nation's largest and most populous island of Luzon on Monday. An unrelated magnitude-6.4 quake struck the island of Samar the following day.
Numerous buildings, including a few churches, were destroyed or damaged by the earthquakes. The wall of a supermarket near the capital city of Manila collapsed on Monday, killing at least five people and burying others who have not yet been found. Electricity has been shut down in some areas to prevent fires.
Vatican News reported that the death toll had risen to at least 20 people, while hundreds more are injured or missing.