At least 37 people have died and hundreds have been injured after a powerful magnitude-7.8 earthquake struck the southern Philippines early on Monday, causing buildings to collapse and triggering tsunami alerts. The quake hit about 20km off the coast of Sarangani province, with tremors felt strongly across Mindanao and as far as Manado in Indonesia.
Civil defence officials reported 479 injured and four missing, with most casualties caused by falling debris and landslides. Around 88,000 people have been affected, including 20,690 displaced. Authorities urged residents not to enter damaged buildings due to the threat of aftershocks.
Video footage verified by the Guardian showed the collapse of a Jollibee restaurant's upper floor and concrete walls of a commercial complex in General Santos City. In Davao del Sur, part of a high school collapsed as students gathered outside. Power outages were reported, and people were advised to move to higher ground.
The Philippine Red Cross reported damage to multiple hospitals, with injured patients being treated in makeshift tents. The quake's epicentre was 13km south-west of General Santos City, with a depth of 6.2 miles, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology. Tsunami warnings were later cancelled after more than six hours.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said evacuation centres were operational and ordered the suspension of schools in affected areas. The Philippines, located on the Pacific Ring of Fire, is frequently hit by earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
