Hundreds injured, massive damage: Magnitude 7.8 quake kills dozens

CEBU, PHILIPPINES — A powerful magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck off Sarangani on Monday morning, June 8, killing at least 31 people, injuring hundreds, damaging buildings and critical infrastructure, and triggering tsunami warnings across parts of Southern Mindanao.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) said the offshore tectonic earthquake occurred at 7:37 a.m. at a depth of 33 kilometers, with its epicenter located 32 kilometers west of Maasim, Sarangani.

PHIVOLCS said the quake was caused by movement along the Cotabato Trench, the same active plate linked to the deadly 1976 Moro Gulf earthquake and tsunami. The agency warned of possible aftershocks and tsunami risks, while the Philippine Coast Guard suspended watercraft operations in Davao Occidental.

As of 2 p.m., PHIVOLCS had recorded 258 aftershocks with magnitudes ranging from 1.3 to 6.7.

The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) reported at least 12 individuals were initially confirmed dead in the aftermath of the powerful quake, with seven fatalities recorded in General Santos City, three in Sarangani, and two in South Cotabato.

Later reports from local authorities placed the death toll in General Santos City at 11.

Emergency responders were also searching for at least four residents reported missing following the earthquake, which lasted for about two minutes and damaged dozens of buildings in General Santos City and nearby provinces.

Employees of the Philippine Information Agency-12 and officials of the General Santos City Risk Reduction and Management Office separately told reporters that many of the fatalities and injuries were caused by falling debris from collapsed structures.

Local executives and officials of the Bureau of Fire Protection-12 and Police Regional Office-12 said at least 142 residents from Barangays Calumpang, Tambler, Lagao, Tinagacan, Apopong, Bula, Fatima, San Isidro and Labangal in General Santos City sustained wounds, fractures, and contusions after being struck by debris from damaged buildings and structures.

OCD spokesman Junie Castillo said at least 131 individuals were reported injured in different affected areas.

Army medics from the 10th and 6th Infantry Divisions, along with personnel from BFP-12, PRO-12, and the General Santos City government, were deployed for emergency response operations in areas devastated by the quake, which was also felt across the Zamboanga Peninsula, Davao Region, and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

Rolly Aquino, chief of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office in South Cotabato, confirmed that two residents died in Tupi town.

“One resident reportedly died after being hit by debris from a concrete structure destroyed by the earthquake. Another died of cardiac arrest while the ground was shaking,” Aquino said.

Officials said dozens of buildings in General Santos City, South Cotabato, and Sarangani sustained damage from the quake.

Bangsamoro Chief Minister Abdulrauf Macacua said engineers were immediately dispatched to inspect buildings inside the 32-hectare BARMM regional capitol in Cotabato City for possible structural damage.

PHIVOLCS’ sea-level monitoring stations recorded tsunami waves reaching up to 1.4 meters in six coastal areas: Maasim at 7:42 a.m., Kiamba at 7:44 a.m., Kalamansig at 7:59 a.m., Mati at 8:19 a.m., Zamboanga at 8:32 a.m., and Tandag City at 8:45 a.m.

General Santos City, which experienced Intensity 7 shaking, suffered critical infrastructure damage, according to the OCD.

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) temporarily suspended operations at the General Santos International Airport following the earthquake, resulting in the cancellation of 17 flights across three airlines.

“Assessments of air navigation facilities, equipment, and operational capabilities are currently underway to ensure the continued safety and integrity of airport operations,” CAAP said.

Department of Public Works and Highways Secretary Vince Dizon, together with other Cabinet secretaries, traveled to General Santos City to conduct on-site assessments of damaged public infrastructure.

The earthquake also disrupted the opening of classes on Monday, affecting around three million learners, according to the OCD.

In a video uploaded on social media, a two-story building at Matanao National High School in Davao del Sur collapsed during the strong tremor.

Rene Punzalan, disaster chief for hard-hit Sarangani province, told AFP 14 people had died in Glan municipality alone when a landslide buried their homes at the foot of a mountain.

“The landslide happened immediately after the earthquake, so many lives were lost,” he said, adding that some areas had yet to report if they had sustained casualties.

“The greatest challenge is communication. The power was cut, so it’s hard to get updates,” Punzalan said.

“We’re worried about aftershocks,” he added. “We can feel the fear of the residents.”

Videos posted to social media and verified by AFP showed a shopping centre with a Jollibee fast food restaurant reduced to rubble in General Santos City, while a school building that officials said was unoccupied crumpled in another.

“Lord, it has really collapsed! … The building has really collapsed!” someone can be heard shouting as the abandoned school structure topples.

In another video verified by AFP, young schoolchildren could be seen screaming in the arms of their teachers as the quake violently swayed them back and forth on the ground.

A flimsy metal structure in the background collapsed as the video uploaded to the school’s official Facebook page came to an end. An accompanying caption said no one was under the structure when it fell.

Evacuate now

Punzalan, the Sarangani disaster chief, told AFP that more than 2,000 people evacuated due to a morning tsunami warning were now awaiting a green light to return to their homes.

“(Authorities) are still assessing the situation now if it will be OK to send them home,” he said.

A notice from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center had said tsunami waves were possible along the coasts of the Philippines, Indonesia, Palau, Taiwan and Papua New Guinea.

But by mid-afternoon, the Philippines and other countries had cancelled their warnings.

Waves that did reach the Pacific coast of Japan, where authorities had issued a tsunami advisory, were reported to be no higher than 20 centimetres (about eight inches).

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. suspended classes in affected areas in Mindanao to allow authorities to respond to the situation.

“The safety of our children comes first. DepEd will coordinate with local government units on this,” Marcos said in a statement, while also urging residents in coastal communities to evacuate to higher ground following tsunami warnings.

The warning was already lifted late yesterday afternoon.