Death toll in Philippine quake rises to at least 35
Tsunami warnings were issued after a strong magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck off the southern Philippine island of Mindanao on Monday (Jun 8).
A drone view shows a collapsed building after a magnitude 7.8 quake in General Santos, Mindanao Island, Philippines, Jun 8, 2026. (Photo: GenSan DEV/Handout via REUTERS)
MANILA: The death toll from a magnitude 7.8 earthquake in the southern Philippines has reached at least 35, with more than 100 people injured.
The quake struck off the southern island of Mindanao on Monday (Jun 8), collapsing buildings and damaging key infrastructure in the city of General Santos.
National disaster authorities said at least a dozen people were still missing, while 134 had sustained injuries.
Tsunami damage was reported in at least one coastal village. Smaller waves were measured in Indonesia and Palau and as far away as southern Japan.
Philippine authorities urged people in affected coastal regions to move to higher ground after the offshore quake hit south of General Santos, a port city of about 720,000.
A series of powerful aftershocks rocked the area from about two hours after the first quake, according to the United States Geological Survey, with the largest measuring 6.5 on the Richter scale.
Videos posted to social media and verified by AFP showed a shopping centre with a Jollibee fast food restaurant collapsing into rubble in General Santos City, while a building on a local school campus crumpled in another.
"Lord, it has really collapsed! ... The building has really collapsed!" someone can be heard shouting as the school structure toppled.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr ordered an immediate disaster response in Mindanao, an island the size of South Korea, with agencies directed to prepare relief supplies and evacuation centres and be ready for possible rescue operations.
"The national government is moving and we will not leave Mindanao behind," he said in a statement.
It comes eight months after the Philippines suffered its deadliest tremor in 12 years, when a shallow 6.9 magnitude quake hit off the island of Cebu, killing 79 people. Two powerful quakes struck Mindanao two weeks later, the strongest at a magnitude 7.4.
MILITARY DEPLOYED, MALAYSIA OFFERS ASSISTANCE
The Philippine military said its disaster response units had been deployed to affected areas.
The quake came early in the morning as schools were reopening in the Philippines after a long break.
A video shared by a local school the moment the quake struck showed a large group of children sitting on the floor swaying rapidly from side to side, some hugging teachers, before fleeing en masse as a makeshift shelter collapsed behind them.
Benjie Ancheta, police chief of Sarangani's Alabel town, said the quake occurred during a police flag-raising ceremony, causing some people to faint.
"This is the strongest earthquake we've experienced," Ancheta said by phone.
The airport in General Santos was also closed until further notice, officials said.
Monday's quake triggered evacuation warnings for coastal areas of neighbouring Indonesia and Malaysia, with both nations subsequently lifting their alert.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said his government was ready to assist the Philippines.
"I pray for the safety and wellbeing of all those affected, wishing them strength and courage in the difficult days ahead," Anwar posted on X.
INDONESIAN ISLANDERS MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND
The US Tsunami Warning System said multiple countries could be affected and Australia initially warned of potential tsunami waves on its northern coasts. Japan's meteorological agency issued an advisory and said a tsunami of 0.2 m or lower had been observed, with some disruption to ferries and precautionary beach closures.
Witnesses in Indonesia's Manado said they felt the quake strongly. Only minor damage was reported, according to Abdul Muhari, spokesperson for Indonesia's disaster mitigation agency.
A tsunami with a wave height up to 0.75 m was detected in some regions in North Sulawesi, where people started moving to safer areas, including residents of the remote Sangihe Islands, among the closest to the Philippines.
"They are now evacuating to the higher ground... away from the coast, to avoid the potential tsunami," resident Jufry Dalita said, according to state news agency Antara.
Earthquakes are a near-daily occurrence in the Philippines, which is situated on the Pacific "Ring of Fire", an arc of intense seismic activity stretching from Japan through Southeast Asia and across the Pacific basin.
