More than two dozen buildings, many of them commercial establishments, have been damaged by a magnitude 7.8 earthquake in the southern Philippines.
The quake struck off the coast of General Santos City, located on Mindanao, the Philippines’ main southern island.
According to officials from the Philippine Office of Civil Defense, the death toll from the magnitude-7.8 earthquake now stands at 15. Local civil defence office Director Rodrigo Sosmeña, disclosed that 12 of the fatalities were reported in Soccsksargen – a region spanning four provinces and one city: South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, and General Santos City. He added that at least 129 people were reportedly injured in the region.
Police Spokesperson Robert Dagun told a local radio station that parts of the city’s St Elizabeth Hospital were severely damaged, forcing patients and medical personnel to evacuate and temporarily operate outside the main hospital building.
The international airport in General Santos was temporarily shut, and 17 domestic flights were canceled. According to the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines, General Santos Airport has suspended operations for safety assessments after the earthquake. The Transport Department said that operations at other airports in Mindanao remain normal.
Officials said that the earthquake in southern Philippines sparked a 1-meter (3-foot) tsunami along nearby coasts. Waves of 1 meter (3 feet) were monitored in the provinces of Sultan Kudarat and Sarangani.
Malaysia’s Meteorological Department issued a tsunami warning for Sabah state on Borneo island. Sabah is just a boat ride away from southern Philippines. An 83-centimeter (2.7-feet) tsunami was measured by a gauge off Indonesia’s Sulawesi island.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said that the quake, the strongest to strike the Philippines this year, was centered at sea at a depth of 33 kilometers (20 miles), about 32 kilometers (20 miles) southwest of Maasim town in Sarangani province.
The U.S. Geological Survey reported the depth of the original quake at 55 kilometers (34 miles). Variations in measurements by different agencies are common in the immediate aftermath of an earthquake.
The Philippines, one of the world’s most disaster-prone countries, is often hit by earthquakes and volcanic eruptions due to its location on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” an arc of seismic faults around the ocean. The archipelago is also lashed by about 20 typhoons and tropical storms each year.
Philippines President Urges Immediate Action After Earthquake
Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr issued a statement about the earthquake, saying that he has “directed all relevant government agencies to act immediately,” urging people to move to higher ground.
“To our kababayans (countrymen) in the affected provinces, please heed the tsunami warning. Move to higher ground now. Do not wait. Your life is more important than anything left behind.”
Ferdinand Marcos Jr
He added that he’s in “constant communication” with local authorities and will provide updates as the situation develops.“The national government is moving and we will not leave Mindanao behind,” he said.
Marcos said that the Philippine civil defence and disaster management agencies are coordinating their disaster response. He added that the Department of Social Welfare and Development will prepare relief goods and evacuation centres.
He added that he has ordered the suspension of classes in all levels across affected areas in Mindanao until further notice, adding “The safety of our children comes first.” The earthquake struck as the new school year began in the Philippines. Public schools had reopened nationwide today after the summer break.
Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi also released a statement urging the Japanese people to follow the advice of local disaster officials and evacuate to higher ground if they are told to do so.
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