A powerful magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck off the coast of the southern Philippine island of Mindanao early Monday. The earthquake, the strongest to hit the Philippines this year, was centered at a depth of 35km, approximately 8 miles from General Santos city and 24km west of Sarangani province. The disaster occurred on the first day of school, prompting immediate evacuations.
At least one person was killed and several houses collapsed. In a key coastal city, power was knocked down and numerous buildings were affected. General Santos City police stated that rescue operations were ongoing, while government agencies scrambled to assess the full extent of the damages and verify casualties.
The quake triggered tsunami warnings in the Philippines and Indonesia, while Japan issued an advisory along its Pacific coast. Tsunami waves were also possible in Taiwan, Guam, Papua New Guinea, and several other western Pacific island nations. The Philippine president urged people in vulnerable areas to move to higher ground. While waves of up to three metres were predicted for parts of the Philippines and smaller waves for Malaysia and Indonesia, one-metre tsunami waves were reported along nearby coasts.