Devastating magnitude 7.8 earthquake rocks Philippines, leaving dozens dead and hundreds more injured
PHILIPPINES - A powerful offshore magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck off the coast of the southern Philippines on Monday, triggering a 3-foot tsunami along nearby coasts.
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Authorities reported that the event killed at least 32 people and injured more than 200, as numerous buildings collapsed and sustained heavy damage, according to Reuters.
The government has mobilized emergency disaster response teams to affected areas while continuing to assess the full extent of damage, injuries and fatalities.
According to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, this was the strongest earthquake to hit the Philippines this year.
The Philippines is known to be a disaster-prone region, as it lies on the seismically active Pacific Ring of Fire — the massive 25,000-mile arc of volcanoes and tectonic plate boundaries where 90% of the world’s earthquakes occur.
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) reported that the earthquake struck off the island of Mindanao, about 15 miles west-southwest of Burias, Philippines, at 6:37 p.m. EST (7:37 a.m. PHST).
Mindanao is the largest island in the southern Philippines and home to more than 25 million people.
The earthquake had a depth of about 22 miles, a relatively shallow depth.
According to the USGS, the quake reached a Mercalli intensity of VIII, meaning shaking was severe, felt by everyone in the area, and caused widespread alarm among residents.
The USGS reported aftershocks ranging in magnitude from 6.5 to 4.0. Philippine disaster officials said more than 150 aftershocks had been recorded through Monday evening.
The earthquake triggered a tsunami along the coast as well as a landslide in Glan, a municipality in the province of Sarangani, that killed 13 villagers, according to the Associated Press.
Video footage filmed by Jal Tan in Davao City showed buildings and telephone lines rattling during the quake. Residents were also seen crouching and holding onto structures as the disaster unfolded.
Meanwhile, students and teachers who were on their first day back to school in the rural town of Malita in the Davao Occidental province were in panic as the ground rumbled beneath them.
Footage taken by the school shows the children screaming as they dodge a collapsing shelter.
After the earthquake rattled the country, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines suspended all operations at General Santos City Airport.
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Meanwhile, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced that classes would be suspended in affected areas and disaster response agencies would immediately assist impacted communities.
Local governments, including the City of Davao, also encouraged private offices and institutions to close for the day.
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Authorities reported that the hardest-hit areas were General Santos City and Davao, where significant damage has been recorded.
Several multi-story buildings were reported to have collapsed in General Santos, while officials said numerous smaller structures throughout the region either collapsed or sustained severe damage.
At least 32 people have been killed, hundreds have been injured, and dozens remain missing. As search-and-rescue teams continue to look for residents trapped beneath collapsed buildings, officials warn that the death toll is likely to rise.
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According to the AP, emergency response teams scrambled to rescue people trapped inside a supermarket, warehouse and an elementary school.
The earthquake was so powerful it triggered tsunami waves of up to 3 feet along nearby coasts.
According to the AP, at least one southern coastal village reported damage, while small waves were measured in Indonesia, Palau and even Japan.
After the earthquake struck, nearby nations including Taiwan, Japan, Guam, Papua New Guinea and numerous islands were placed under tsunami advisories.
The National Tsunami Warning Center said that there was no tsunami danger along the North American coast, including the U.S. and Canada.
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The Hawaii Emergency Management Agency posted on social media saying there was no threat to the Hawaii coast following the earthquake.
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