A powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck off the southern Philippine island of Mindanao on Monday, with the death toll climbing to at least 32 and dozens injured, according to disaster officials. Manila has intensified search and rescue operations in the affected areas.
Earthquake Details and Impact
The quake hit early in the morning approximately 20 kilometers (12.4 miles) off the coast of Sarangani province, triggering tsunami warnings across several countries. Tremors were strongly felt across Mindanao and as far as 420 kilometers away in Manado, a city on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi.
In General Santos City, home to about 700,000 people and the worst-affected location, residents described the tremors as unlike anything they had experienced before. Jojo Calma, 44, who was driving his motorized tricycle taxi when a building collapsed in front of him, recounted his fear. "It was the first time I experienced something that strong, that I really couldn't stop myself from tearing up. I thought about my children and my niece, what if something had happened to them?" he said. The collapse of the building, which housed a fast-food outlet, was captured in a video released by local authorities, showing panicked onlookers fleeing as dust filled the air.
Calma's children were at school when the earthquake struck but are safe, although his sibling's home was destroyed. "Thank God they're okay," he added.
Casualties and Response
The earthquake struck just as schools were returning from a long break. The Philippines mobilized military and disaster response teams. Authorities are verifying preliminary reports of 32 people killed and 134 injured across Mindanao, primarily due to falling debris and landslides, according to civil defense officials.
Tsunami warnings were canceled after more than six hours in the southern Philippines, northern Indonesia, and the Malaysian state of Sabah on Borneo island, where coastal residents had been advised to evacuate to higher ground.
Recent Seismic Activity
This disaster comes eight months after the Philippines experienced its deadliest tremor in 12 years, a shallow 6.9 magnitude quake off the central island of Cebu that killed 79 people. Two powerful quakes struck Mindanao two weeks later, the strongest at magnitude 7.4.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered an immediate disaster response in Mindanao, directing agencies to prepare relief supplies, evacuation centers, and rescue operations. "The national government is moving and we will not leave Mindanao behind," Marcos said in a statement.
