MANILA, Philippines, June 8 (World Daily Times) — A magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck offshore near Mindanao on Monday, triggering landslides and tsunami alerts and killing at least 32 people in the southern Philippines, disaster officials and seismic agencies said.
The quake was centered at sea about 32 kilometers southwest of Maasim town in Sarangani province, according to Teresito Bacolcol, director of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology. PHIVOLCS placed the quake at a depth of 33 kilometers, while the U.S. Geological Survey reported a depth of 55 kilometers.
A landslide in Glan, Sarangani province, killed 13 villagers, Sarangani disaster-mitigation official Rene Punzalan said. Other deaths were reported in Sarangani, South Cotabato, Davao Occidental and Balut Island, where officials cited falling debris, a damaged mosque and landslides.
More than 100 people were injured across the affected areas, officials said. Injury counts were still being assessed, with early official reports differing by area.
In General Santos, local officials reported seven deaths and around 130 injuries in initial assessments. Several small buildings partially collapsed, and a key access bridge developed cracks, officials said.
Thousands of residents were displaced or evacuated after the quake, according to Junie Castillo, a spokesperson for the Office of Civil Defense. Coastal communities were among those moved after tsunami warnings were issued.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre warned after the quake that hazardous waves of up to 3 meters could reach the Philippines. The center later said the tsunami threat had largely passed.
PHIVOLCS reported waves of about 1 meter in Sultan Kudarat and Sarangani, including a 1.4-meter peak in Kiamba, Sarangani. Monitoring agencies also recorded waves outside the Philippines, including 83 centimeters off Sulawesi, 30 centimeters in Palau and up to 20 centimeters on remote Japanese islands, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency and regional tsunami monitors.
Officials also reported strong aftershocks after the main quake as rescue and damage checks continued in southern Mindanao.
