7.8 magnitude earthquake hits southern Philippines, triggers tsunami warning

A powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 7.8 struck southern Philippines on Monday. The quake resulted in at least one death, caused buildings to collapse, and prompted a tsunami warning across the region.

According to the United States Geological Survey, the earthquake’s epicenter was located about 24 kilometers west of Sarangani province on Mindanao Island, in the sea. Following the quake, authorities in the Philippines and Indonesia urged residents in affected coastal areas to move to higher ground immediately.

“So far, reports indicate one person has died and four are injured. This is just preliminary information,” said Master Sergeant Robert Dagon of the General Santos City police to AFP. He added, “A large number of buildings have collapsed.”

“Many buildings have been affected, but we are currently busy with rescue operations and unable to provide a complete list,” he stated.

Videos posted on Facebook and verified by AFP show a shopping center, including a ‘Jollibee’ fast food restaurant, in General Santos City reduced to rubble. Similarly, officials reported that a school building, fortunately unoccupied, was completely destroyed.

In one video, a person can be heard shouting, “Oh God, it really collapsed! The building is completely down!”

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a notice stating that tsunami waves could potentially hit coastal areas of the Philippines, Indonesia, Palau, Taiwan, and Papua New Guinea within the next “three hours.”

About two hours after the initial quake, a strong aftershock with a magnitude of 6.1 was felt in the same area.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos has suspended classes in the affected areas of Mindanao and urged coastal residents to move to safety immediately. “Move to higher ground now. Do not wait,” he said. “Your life is more important than anything left behind.”

The country’s national disaster management agency stated that casualty reports are “still being verified.”

Meanwhile, Indonesia’s national disaster management agency has urged officials in Manado, the capital of North Sulawesi, North Gorontalo province, and the Sangihe Islands to “instruct their residents to move to higher ground immediately and in an orderly manner.”

Japanese authorities have also issued a separate tsunami warning for their Pacific coastal areas, predicting waves up to one meter could hit various locations from 11:30 AM local time.

A local disaster management official in Davao City, Mindanao, mentioned that authorities are monitoring the situation and will post updates via social media.

Earthquakes are a common occurrence in the Philippines, as the country is situated on the Pacific Ocean’s “Ring of Fire,” an area known for high seismic and volcanic activity stretching from Japan through Southeast Asia to the Pacific Basin.

Earlier in October, two earthquakes with magnitudes of 7.4 and 6.7 struck eastern Mindanao, resulting in at least eight deaths.

According to government data, a 6.9 magnitude earthquake in Cebu province in central Philippines a few days earlier had claimed 76 lives and damaged or destroyed 72,000 buildings.