Magnitude 7.8 Quake Strikes Off Mindanao
A magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck off the coast of Mindanao in the southern Philippines on Monday morning at 7:37 a.m., killing at least 32 people and injuring more than 200 others. The quake centered at sea approximately 32 kilometers southwest of Maasim town in Sarangani province at a depth of 33 kilometers, according to Teresito Bacolcol, director of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology. Bacolcol confirmed this was the strongest earthquake to hit the Philippines this year.
The tremor sent a 1-meter tsunami into nearby coasts and triggered more than 130 aftershocks, with magnitudes ranging from 1.3 to 6.7. A magnitude 5.7 earthquake also struck the water off Balut Island later that evening at approximately 22:52 local time.
Widespread Destruction in Port City
General Santos, a port city with a population exceeding 700,000 and a regional hub for the tuna export industry, sustained the heaviest damage. Several mostly low-rise buildings collapsed or sustained severe damage in the city. At least 12 people remained missing as search and rescue teams scrambled to find people trapped in a supermarket, warehouse, grade school, and other structures that either collapsed or were severely damaged.
Master Sergeant Robert Dagon of the General Santos City police told the AFP news agency that many buildings were affected. "A number of buildings collapsed. Some houses also collapsed," he said. The city's international airport temporarily shut down due to the earthquake, and the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines canceled 17 domestic flights.
Deaths Across Multiple Provinces
According to Rene Punzalan, a provincial disaster-mitigation official, a landslide in Glan, a municipality in Sarangani province, killed 13 villagers. Four other villagers died in Sarangani from other causes related to the quake. The Office of Civil Defense reported that 31 fatalities occurred in Soccsksargen, while four deaths were recorded in Davao. Most deaths resulted from collapsing buildings and falling debris, including damage to a mosque in the southern provinces of South Cotabato and Davao Occidental, and on Balut Island.
A four-story commercial building housing a provincial radio station partly collapsed, though staffers dashed to the ground floor without injuries. Approximately 10,000 families were displaced by the disaster.
Tsunami Alerts Across the Region
The Philippine and Indonesian seismological agencies issued tsunami warnings immediately after the quake, advising people to evacuate to higher ground or travel inland. A 1.4-meter wave hit Kiamba town, while waves of 1 meter were monitored in Sultan Kudarat and Sarangani provinces. An 83-centimeter tsunami was measured off Indonesia's Sulawesi island. Smaller waves reached Palau at 30 centimeters and Japan's remote Chichijima and Kushimoto at 20 centimeters. Both countries lifted their alerts by mid-afternoon, and the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said the tsunami threat largely passed about five hours after the quake.
Schools Disrupted on First Day
The earthquake coincided with the first day of the school year in the Philippines. More than 100 students in uniforms and a dozen teachers had gathered for a flag-raising ceremony at a grade school in the rural town of Malita in Davao Occidental province when the ground shook. School principal Rosavel Cachuela told the Associated Press that students' excitement turned to trauma, though most remained seated and still, preventing injuries. A shed crumbled and damaged a motorcycle at the school compound.
At a school in Digos, pupils screamed as an outdoor structure collapsed, but the school confirmed no one was injured. "Their excitement on the first day of school turned to trauma," Cachuela said.
Government Response and International Support
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered the cancellation of classes in affected areas and directed disaster-response agencies to immediately deploy to quake-hit provinces. "The national government is moving and we will not leave Mindanao behind," Marcos said in a statement. Rod Sosmeña, a regional director of the Office of Civil Defense, described the moment the quake struck while he traveled through General Santos. "Our pickup truck suddenly jerked and I thought we had a flat tire. The shaking was very strong and people dashed out of houses into the streets," Sosmeña told the Associated Press.
The United States, a treaty ally of the Philippines, said it was coordinating with Manila and stood ready to support Philippine response efforts. France and New Zealand also expressed support. Bacolcol warned people to seek professional advice before returning to damaged buildings and houses, which could collapse due to ongoing aftershocks.
