A powerful 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck off the southern Philippines on Monday, 8th June, killing at least 15 people, damaging buildings, and prompting tsunami warnings and evacuations across parts of the Asia-Pacific region.
The quake hit near Mindanao at around 7:37 local time at a depth of about 35 km, according to the US Geological Survey. Authorities in the Philippines and Indonesia ordered coastal evacuations, while Japan and Malaysia issued tsunami advisories as tremors were felt across the region.
The Philippines Civil Defence Office reported at least 15 fatalities as of 2:08pm, though figures remained subject to validation. Philippine police across Mindanao were placed on heightened alert to assist in evacuation efforts and support relief operations. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr directed agencies to evacuate residents and begin rescue work, urging people in affected regions to heed the tsunami warning and move to higher ground. Classes were suspended across all levels in impacted areas until further notice.
Several structures in General Santos City, located about 13 km from the epicentre, sustained dangerous cracks, including a key access bridge, according to Rod Sosmena, regional director of the Office of Civil Defence. A church in the city was also damaged. Local authorities in Surigao del Sur province temporarily closed a bridge for 24 hours for inspections, while Davao City urged motorists to exercise extreme caution after cracks were discovered on another bridge.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim expressed solidarity with the Philippines, saying Kuala Lumpur stood ready to provide any assistance required. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the Filipino people. Malaysia stands ready to render whatever assistance may be required,” he said. He noted that tremors were felt in parts of Sabah and that the government was closely monitoring the situation. Malaysia lifted its tsunami advisory at 12pm, almost 3.5 hours after it was issued.
Indonesia lifted its tsunami warning after recording small waves, with the highest reaching 0.75 metres in Sangihe Island. Officials had earlier instructed evacuations in high-risk areas, including Manado and northern Gorontalo. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said the threat had largely passed but had earlier warned of possible waves within the next three hours along coasts of the Philippines, Indonesia, Palau, Taiwan, and Papua New Guinea.
Earthquake scientist Grace Sethanant said shaking is the first hazard caused by earthquakes, followed by fires, tsunamis, and landslides. “There can be those compound hazards that happen in a single earthquake,” said the research fellow in earthquake science at the University of Melbourne.
“From historical data, aftershocks tend to be around 1.0 magnitude lower than the main quake, meaning the largest aftershocks could reach up to 6.7 magnitude in the coming days or weeks,” Dr Sethanant said. A magnitude 6.1 aftershock later struck at a depth of 67 km, about 8 km north-northwest of Mindanao’s Sarangani province.
“The challenge would be the emergency responders getting to people that need help in buildings,” she said. “If we can observe any damage in the main structure of the house, it would be wise to not re-enter those structures to help the emergency responders work more efficiently.”
The Philippines lies in the Ring of Fire, a seismically active zone prone to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. The country experienced a deadly quake last year that killed at least 74 people on the island of Cebu.
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