At least three dead after powerful quake strikes Philippines

At least three people have died after a 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit the Philippines at 07:37 local time (23:37 GMT).

The quake struck off the coast of General Santos City in Mindanao, the Philippines’ main southern island, leaving five people injured.

Several countries in the region, including the Philippines, Indonesia, and Japan, issued tsunami warnings, though most have since been lifted.

Authorities highlighted on Monday that the earthquake caused damage to buildings and triggered tsunami alerts across parts of Asia, as emergency teams moved quickly to assess the extent of destruction in affected provinces.

The quake struck offshore near Mindanao shortly before 7:40am local time, according to seismic monitoring agencies, and was followed by more than an hour of aftershocks that continued to shake communities across the southern Philippines.

Officials reported widespread panic as residents fled buildings when the ground shaking intensified.

Video footage from General Santos City showed “a three-storey building that housed a Jollibee restaurant collapsing in a cloud of debris and dust,” while other images showed smashed windows, damaged roofs, and disrupted infrastructure.

The Philippine seismology authority said the city experienced a “7 out of 10 ‘very strong’ earthquake” on its intensity scale, with significant structural damage recorded in commercial and residential areas.

The Philippine National Police confirmed that “at least three people were reported dead and four others were injured in Soccsksargen following the magnitude 7.8 earthquake,” while disaster officials said assessments were ongoing and the toll could rise as more information becomes available.

In South Cotabato, officials reported that one victim was killed by falling debris while another suffered cardiac arrest during the tremor, highlighting the sudden impact of the quake on communities across the region.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr explained that emergency agencies had been activated, including the Office of Civil Defence and the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, as the government moved to coordinate response efforts.

He urged residents to take tsunami warnings seriously, saying, “Move to higher ground now. Do not wait. Your life is more important than anything left behind,” as coastal evacuations were ordered across several provinces in Mindanao.

Tsunami alerts were issued by authorities in the Philippines, Indonesia, and Japan, with warnings of possible waves reaching up to three metres in some coastal areas.

Residents in vulnerable zones were instructed to evacuate immediately and secure boats or move offshore where necessary.

The United States Geological Survey said the quake was followed by strong aftershocks, while the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology warned of continued seismic activity and possible hazardous waves in the hours after the main shock.

In Indonesia, evacuation orders were issued for parts of northern Sulawesi and surrounding islands, while Japan and other Pacific territories also issued precautionary alerts.

Officials confirmed that the quake caused damage to critical infrastructure, including collapsed buildings, cracked roads, and disrupted utilities, while emergency teams continue search and rescue operations across affected areas.

The Philippines, located on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” experiences frequent seismic activity, and authorities say monitoring will continue as aftershocks persist and damage assessments are completed across Mindanao.