Bangkok: The death toll from a 7.8 magnitude earthquake in General Santos City on the southern Philippines' Mindanao island has risen to at least 32, with more than 130 injured. Numerous buildings and shops collapsed, and tsunami warnings issued in several countries have since been lifted.
According to Thai News Agency, the earthquake struck at 7:37 a.m. local time, coinciding with the first day of the new school term. The epicenter was near General Santos City, which has a population of approximately 700,000, and the Sarangani province in southern Mindanao. The tremor, measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale, was felt as far away as Manado on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, 420 kilometers away. Additionally, more than 138 aftershocks were reported, with the strongest measuring 6.7.
Local officials reported that most of the injuries were due to falling debris and landslides. This earthquake is the strongest to hit the Philippines since 1990. Several commercial buildings and schools sustained damage, including a Jollibee fast-food restaurant in General Santos City, which collapsed into rubble. Many students were evacuated from their classrooms on the first day of the new school term. Moreover, major bridges developed large cracks, and services at General Santos International Airport were temporarily suspended for safety checks.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology and regional monitoring agencies issued a tsunami warning after detecting approximately 1-meter high tsunami waves hitting the coast of the Philippines and parts of Indonesia. The warning was lifted about six hours later.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered disaster relief agencies to promptly respond to the Mindanao island area and suspended classes at all affected schools. The Philippine Red Cross heightened its alert level and dispatched rescue teams to evacuate people along the coast to higher ground. Rescue workers are currently assessing the damage and providing assistance to the affected residents.