There are 61 dead and 40 missing so far
The 7.8 magnitude earthquake that shook the island of Mindanao, in the south of the Philippines, this Monday, caused the ocean floor to rise up to two meters in some coastal areas, the Environment Ministry announced this Sunday.
Seabed elevation poses significant environmental risks, particularly to coral reefs, which may be exposed.
The earthquake caused at least 61 deaths and 40 missing, according to the most recent data from the national disaster management agency.
Residents of the southern island of Mindanao reported “coastal upheaval” two days after the strong earthquake, the ministry explained, adding that the coastline had eroded up to 200 meters in some places.
The cause may be the displacement of the Cotabato Trench, about 50 kilometers (30 miles) off the coast of Mindanao, which has “pushed parts of the coasts of Sarangani and Davao Occidental upward (…) exposing the previously submerged seabed,” the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said in a statement.
“The mapped lift is around two meters (6.5 feet)”, according to the same source. A team sent to the area “discovered that long stretches of coastline, coral reefs and seagrass beds were exposed” at the surface, the ministry added.
There are reports of residents contacting authorities out of fear that the vapors from decomposing marine life are dangerous to their health.
“These exposed corals and seagrasses began to die along with their resident organisms such as reef fish, eels, clams and shellfish,” the ministry explained.
The Philippines is located on the Pacific Ring of Fire, where approximately 90% of the world’s earthquakes occur.
In September 2025, almost 70 people lost their lives and around 150 were injured in a 6.9 magnitude earthquake in Cebu (central Philippines).
