EIGHTEEN female high school and college students in Mandaue City fainted while trying to exit their respective school buildings which shook due to the tremors caused by the 4 pm earthquake that hit Jaro town in Leyte province Thursday.

Sixteen of them were from the University of Cebu-Lapu-Lapu and Mandaue campus located along AC Cortes Avenue, while the two others were from St. Joseph’s Academy in Barangay Centro, Mandaue City.

At least 10 of the students were rushed to hospitals in the cities of Cebu, Mandaue, and Lapu-Lapu.

The rest regained consciousness after they were given medical attention by responding rescuers from the Mandaue City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MCDRRMO).

“They panicked when the ground shook. While moving out of the building, they suddently lost consciousness,” said Felix Suico Jr., head of the (MCDRRMO). The schools were not damaged in any way.