CEBU CITY, Cebu, Philippines — Cebuanos continued to be gripped by fear Tuesday, a day after the tsunami scare that sent thousands of students, office workers, vendors, and even businessmen running for their lives when rumors about rising sea levels started to circulate here.

Barangay Inayawan resident, Rolando Monsanto, 45, said he hardly slept as aftershocks continued to be felt up to Tuesday morning. Monsanto said he had to stay awake for his five kids and be vigilant about the possible occurrence of a tsunami.

“This is really scary. I've seen how tsunami destroyed Japan,” said Monsanto, who was also among the thousands of Cebuanos who run for their lives Monday afternoon due to the tsunami scare.

Monsanto had all the reason to be scared as seismologists recorded more than 700 aftershocks in the wake of the 6.9 magnitude earthquake that struck Negros and Cebu island before noon Monday. Classes remained suspended in Cebu Tuesday.

Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) Director Renato Solidum, said that as of 7:47 a.m. Tuesday, Phivolcs has already recorded 745 aftershocks. He, however, appeased the fears of

Cebuanos by saying that these aftershocks will not bring about a tsunami.

The police said there were minor injuries when people in Metro Cebu started running towards the metropolis’ hilly areas when rumors – apparently a hoax - started circulating that sea water had already reached the downtown area.

“It was created by groups of malicious people who wanted to sow fear and terror,” said Cebu City Police Office Director Melvin Buenafe, as he urged the public to report to the police any information as to the identities of the rumor mongers.

The streets in downtown Cebu City looked like a scene from a disaster movie, with thousands of panic-stricken people running to safety at 2 p.m. on Monday. Students and office workers spilled out of offices and schools into the streets, while vendors abandoned their stalls at the Carbon market to run toward higher grounds.

Some people chose to go up tall or even mid-rise buildings, while others fled toward Fuente Osmeña and the Capitol. In their panic, some people left their vehicles on the road to join the crowd that filled the streets while others ran to their homes to grab their children and run out into the streets again.

Panic among the people started to erupt after some people heard rumors that a tsunami had hit the coastal barangays of Pasil, Ermita and Mambaling.