By NE NOW NEWS
Guwahati: A powerful 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck off the southern Philippines early on Monday, killing at least 32 people, injuring more than 200 others and triggering one-metre tsunami waves that washed ashore along parts of Mindanao’s coastline.
The earthquake, the strongest to hit the Philippines this year, struck at a depth of 10 kilometers along the Cotabato Trench, sending strong tremors across the southern region and causing widespread damage to buildings and infrastructure.
In General Santos City, several small buildings partially collapsed while a key access bridge developed large cracks. More than 100 students attending morning flag-raising ceremonies at schools suffered bruises and minor injuries, and several fainted as panic spread during the powerful shaking.
The force of the quake was felt across much of Mindanao. In Davao, civil defense officials described the tremor as so intense that people struggled to remain standing as the ground shook.
Initial damage assessments showed structural damage in multiple areas, raising concerns over the full extent of destruction in affected communities.
Tsunami waves of up to 1 meter were recorded in the provinces of Sultan Kudarat and Sarangani, while smaller waves were detected elsewhere in the southern Philippines. An 83-centimeter tsunami was also recorded off Indonesia’s Sulawesi island.
The earthquake prompted tsunami alerts across the region. Malaysia issued a warning for coastal areas of Sabah state on Borneo island, while Indonesian authorities advised residents in vulnerable coastal communities to remain alert.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. urged residents in tsunami-prone areas to move to higher ground and said disaster-response agencies had been placed on standby as authorities monitored the situation.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center later said the immediate tsunami threat had largely passed about five hours after the quake. However, it warned that fluctuations in sea levels could continue for several more hours and advised residents to follow instructions from local authorities.
The earthquake also disrupted air travel. General Santos International Airport was temporarily closed for safety inspections, leading to the cancellation of 17 domestic flights.
Emergency teams continued rescue, assessment and recovery operations as authorities worked to determine the full scale of casualties and damage caused by the earthquake and tsunami.