7.8 Magnitude Earthquake Shakes Southern Philippines; Tsunami Likely In Some Coasts
32 killed, buildings damaged, schools suspended after strong quake in S. Philippines
Manila, June 8: At least 32 people were killed, numerous building damaged, and schools and flights were suspended after a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck Sarangani province in the southern Philippines on Monday morning, according to local authorities. Multiple countries had issued tsunami warnings, which were later lifted.
Junie Castillo, spokesperson for the Philippines’ Office of Civil Defense, said 10 victims were reported in South Cotabato’s General Santos, a port city with a population of over 700,000, and at least 12 people remain missing so far. The deaths were caused by falling debris, building collapse and landslides. The Philippine National Police earlier said that no fewer than 134 people were injured.
A two-storey school building in General Santos collapsed with students trapped inside, and authorities said they are verifying details of the incident. Online videos show university and restaurant buildings collapsed in disaster-hit areas. Some commercial facilities sustained structural damage, with signs falling and window panes shattered. Local residents rushed outdoors to seek safety.
The powerful earthquake hit shortly after schools across the Philippines started reopening following the summer break. Surveillance footage from several schools captured violent shaking during the quake. Teachers and students either evacuated urgently or took shelter under desks. The country’s Department of Education said affected schools, with more than 5,800, have been ordered to suspend classes to guarantee student safety.
The General Santos International Airport suspended operations from 8:45 a.m. to 3 p.m. local time for a full safety inspection. Three airlines canceled a total of 17 domestic flights. According to civil aviation authorities, landing and takeoff operations at the airport are currently limited to government, military, and humanitarian flights from Monday at 3 p.m. until June 11 at 6 p.m.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology confirmed that the magnitude 7.8 earthquake jolted waters near Mindanao at 7:37 a.m., with a focal depth of 33 kilometers. The institute said the highest wave recorded reached 1.4 meters.–(Xinhua)
A powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake shook the Mindanao region in southern Philippines early Monday, with a tsunami likely on some regional coasts.
Power outages were reported and people were urged to go to higher ground. No further information on damage or casualties was immediately available.
The epicentre was 13 km southwest of General Santos city on the island of Mindanao, at a depth of 10 km, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology. It struck at 7:37 am local time.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said tsunami waves up to 3 meters (10 feet) were possible on some coasts of the Philippines. Waves up to 1 meter (3 feet) were possible on some coasts of Indonesia and Malaysia.
“We advise people to evacuate to higher grounds or go further inland,” Teresito Bacolcol, the head of the Philippine institute, warned people living in coastal areas.
Smaller tsunami waves were possible in Taiwan, Japan, Guam, Papua New Guinea and several island nations and territories in the western Pacific. There was no threat to Hawaii or the American mainland coast, the PTWC said.
Residents felt the earthquake tremors in Indonesia’s North Sulawesi and North Maluku provinces.
Aftershocks up to 6.1 magnitude followed, the U.S. Geological Survey said. It measured the original quake at 55 kilometers (34 miles) deep. Variations in measurements by different agencies are common in the immediate aftermath of an earthquake.
The Philippines, one of the world’s most disaster-prone countries, is often hit by earthquakes and volcanic eruptions due to its location on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” an arc of seismic faults around the ocean. The archipelago is also lashed by about 20 typhoons and tropical storms each year. (AP)