A powerful offshore earthquake of magnitude 7.8 struck the southern Philippines on Monday, resulting in at least 12 deaths and over 200 injuries, primarily due to damaged buildings. The quake also triggered a three-foot tsunami along nearby coastal areas, officials confirmed.
Tsunami Threat Passes
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center reported that the tsunami threat had largely subsided approximately five hours after the earthquake hit the Mindanao region. No damage or casualties from the tsunami have been reported so far, according to Teresito Bacolcol, director of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology.
“It’s a major earthquake and we’re expecting damage and we’ve already seen some damaged buildings based on videos we’ve seen,” Bacolcol stated.
Widespread Damage
Tsunami waves were recorded in six areas of Mindanao, including Maasim, Kiamba, Kalamansig, Mati, Zamboanga, and Tandag City. The General Santos Airport was evacuated after videos on social media showed part of its ceiling had collapsed, with debris scattered across the floor and baggage carousels. The airport was temporarily closed, leading to the cancellation of 17 domestic flights, civil aviation officials said.
The quake, the strongest to hit the Philippines this year, was centered at sea at a depth of 20 miles, about 20 miles southwest of Maasim town in Sarangani province.
Government Response
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. assured that “the national government is moving and we will not leave Mindanao behind.” Numerous aftershocks followed the 7:37 a.m. quake, which was also felt in Malaysia. Smaller tsunami waves were detected in Indonesia and Malaysia.
Casualties and Injuries
In General Santos, at least seven people were killed and around 130 others injured. Several small buildings partially collapsed, and critical infrastructure, including a key access bridge, sustained dangerous cracks, according to Rod Sosmeña, regional director of the Office of Civil Defense. Five additional deaths were reported in the southern provinces of South Cotabato and Davao Occidental, as well as on Balut Island, officials Ednar Dayanghirang and Sosmeña confirmed.
Authorities are investigating reports of students trapped in a two-story school that collapsed in General Santos, but no further details have been released.
