7.8-magnitude earthquake rocks Philippines, sparking tsunami warnings and widespread damage

A powerful magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck off the southern coast of Mindanao early Monday, triggering tsunami warnings across the Philippines and neighboring countries, causing at least one death, injuring several others, and inflicting visible damage on buildings in General Santos City and surrounding areas.

The quake hit at 7:37 a.m. local time (23:37 UTC Sunday), with its epicenter located approximately 24–26 km (15–16 miles) west-southwest of Kablalan or Burias in Sarangani province, off the southern tip of Mindanao.

The US Geological Survey (USGS) reported a depth of around 35-55 km, while other agencies like Germany’s GFZ placed it shallower at about 10 km. Philippine authorities initially measured it at magnitude 7.0 before revising upward.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) quickly issued a tsunami warning for multiple coastal provinces, including Sarangani, Davao Occidental, Tawi-Tawi, Sulu, Basilan, and parts of Zamboanga, urging residents to evacuate immediately to higher ground.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center forecast waves of up to 3 meters (10 feet) above tide level along some Philippine coasts and 1 meter in parts of Indonesia and Malaysia. Small tsunami waves were later observed, up to 1 meter in Sultan Kudarat and Sarangani provinces in the Philippines, and 0.19-0.75 meters along Indonesian coasts.

At least one person was killed and four others injured, according to initial reports. In General Santos City, a major commercial hub of more than 700,000 people, videos and eyewitness accounts showed partial collapses, including a Jollibee restaurant, a shopping mall, a building at Notre Dame of Dadiangas University, and a Love Radio studio.

Debris fell on vehicles, and power outages, disrupted telecommunications, and internet service were widespread. A high-rise condominium in Davao City and a school building in Matanao also sustained damage.

Local officials reported cracks in a police building in Alabel, a collapsed shrine and damaged bridge in Maasim, and suspended operations at General Santos International Airport.

Classes and government work were canceled across affected regions on the first day of school for many students. Damage assessments are ongoing, with aftershocks continuing to rattle the area.

No major damage or casualties have been reported so far in Indonesia, though evacuations were ordered in vulnerable coastal zones there.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. directed national agencies to provide immediate assistance, stating, “The national government is moving and we will not leave Mindanao behind.”

The Office of Civil Defense, National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), and Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) are coordinating relief efforts, with pre-positioned goods and evacuation centers activated. The Philippine Red Cross remains on high alert.

This is the strongest earthquake to strike the Philippines since 1990, occurring in a seismically active region along the Cotabato Trench.

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