At least 31 people died this Monday (8) after a strong earthquake of magnitude 7.8 reach the southern Philippines, where several buildings collapsed e tsunami warnings were issuedauthorities said.
At least a dozen people remain missingwhile 134 were injuredaccording to the disaster management authority.
Videos posted on social media show a shopping mall collapsing in the city of General Santos, with 720,000 inhabitants, while another video shows the collapse of a school building.
“Sir, it really collapsed! The building really collapsed!” shouts one person in the video.
An AFP journalist in the city on Monday afternoon (local time) observed rescuers digging through the rubble of a popular supermarket chain to recover the bodies of two buried employees.
“Several buildings collapsed, some houses too,” said Sergeant Robert Dagon of the General Santos City police.
Non-sea epicenter
The earthquake occurred at 7h37 (8:37 pm on Sunday, Brasília time) and had its non-sea epicenterat a depth of 35 kilometersnear the island of Mindanao, in the south of the country, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).
A series of aftershocks shook the area nearly two hours after the first quake, with the strongest measuring 6.5 magnitude, according to the USGS.
René Punzalan, disaster management coordinator for Sarangani province, one of the hardest hit, told AFP that, in the municipality of Glan alone, 14 people died after a landslide buried their homes at the foot of a mountain.
“The biggest challenge is communication. Electricity is cut, so it’s difficult to get up-to-date information,” explained Punzalan, adding that some areas had not yet reported any casualties.
“We are concerned about aftershocks,” he added. “We can feel the fear of the residents.”
Punzalan also indicated that more than 2,000 people displaced after a tsunami warning issued earlier in the day were awaiting clearance to return home.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) had warned about the possibility of tsunamis along the coasts of the Philippines, Indonesia, Palau, Taiwan and Papua New Guinea.
However, by mid-afternoon, the Philippines and other countries had already lifted their alerts.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos, who ordered the suspension of classes in affected areas of Mindanao, urged residents to stay away from coastal areas.
“Go to higher ground now. Don’t wait. Your lives are more important than anything you leave behind,” declared Marcos.
Earthquakes are frequent in the Philippines, a vast archipelago located on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” an area of intense seismic activity.
In October 2025, a strong earthquake hit the central region of the country and left 76 people dead.
