A powerful earthquake struck off the southern Philippine island of Mindanao on Monday (8 June), killing at least 32 people and triggering tsunami warnings across the region.
Philippine police said 129 people were injured in the magnitude 7.8 quake, which struck offshore near Mindanao.
Authorities also reported power outages, infrastructure damage and disruptions to communications in areas close to the epicentre.
Tsunami alerts were issued in the Philippines and parts of neighbouring Indonesia, with coastal communities urged to move to higher ground as a precaution.
However, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) later lifted its tsunami alert, saying that observed sea level disturbances were too small to cause damage.
In General Santos, about 15 kilometres from the epicentre, local media reported falling furniture and damage to televisions and other household appliances. Local disaster officials said assessments of damage and any casualties were continuing.
The General Santos disaster office said officials were assessing reports of damage and injuries while aftershocks were still being felt.
In Sarangani province, near the epicentre, power and telecommunications services were disrupted and schools suspended classes, according to local disaster chief Rene Punzalan.
Authorities said assessments were continuing, with no immediate reports of collapsed buildings.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said the government was moving quickly to coordinate its response.
"The national government is moving and we will not leave Mindanao behind," Marcos said in a statement.
In Maasim town, disaster chief Arlene Hollero said evacuations were underway in coastal villages.
Water briefly receded after the quake, raising concerns about possible tsunami activity, although sea conditions later appeared normal, she said.
A bridge suffered cracks and a shrine topped by a large cross collapsed.
"It's devastating," Hollero told Reuters.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) warned that tsunami waves exceeding one metre could affect coastal areas for several hours.
Indonesia's geophysics agency said waves measuring around 0.19 metres had been detected, while authorities there reported no immediate damage.
Witnesses in Indonesia's northern city of Manado and residents across southern Philippines said the earthquake was felt strongly.
Benjie Ancheta, police chief in the town of Alabel, said the local police station suffered cracks during the quake, which struck while officers were attending a flag-raising ceremony.
"This is the strongest earthquake we've experienced," Ancheta said.
The German Research Centre for Geosciences said the earthquake struck at a depth of 10 kilometres. It initially estimated the quake at magnitude 8.2 before revising it to 7.8.
The Philippines and Indonesia sit along the Pacific Ring of Fire, one of the world's most active seismic zones, where earthquakes and volcanic activity are common.
Türkiye, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have formalised their new defensive alliance at the grouping’s first high-level meeting held Monday i...
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan have concluded talks in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, as leade...
Qatar has discussed potential investment in Afghanistan’s oil and gas sectors and the construction of a crude o...
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan have concluded talks in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, as leaders gather for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit.
Iran has reached an understanding with Oman on transit arrangements through the Strait of Hormuz, but the waterway will remain closed until the U.S. fulfils its commitments, a senior Iranian diplomat said on Saturday.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused U.S. government and Israel-aligned actors of manipulating energy markets to promote the war with Iran.
Russian strikes on the Kyiv region overnight killed 37 people, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said. Zelenskyy added that the Ukrainian capital was under "virtually nonstop attack" from drones.
U.S. forces struck two Iranian rocket launchers on Larak Island on Sunday, with Tehran responding by launching ballistic missiles at two U.S. bases in Jordan in the first direct U.S.-Iran military escalation in weeks.
Türkiye, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have formalised their new defensive alliance at the grouping’s first high-level meeting held Monday in Istanbul.
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian has stated that Tehran is not pursuing a military conflict but promised a strong response to 'aggressors' while the Army and Revolutionary Guards said they carried out retaliatory attacks against U.S. bases in the region on Monday.
Kyrgyzstan is hosting the sixth World Nomad Games, bringing together thousands of athletes from around the world for a celebration of traditional sports, cultural heritage and nomadic traditions.
Pakistan is set to take over the rotating chairmanship of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation after the bloc’s leaders meet in Bishkek. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arrived on Friday to attend the SCO Council of Heads of State meeting and SCO Plus Summit, which run until 2 September.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has condemned the actions of Israeli settlers in the West Bank village of Qusra, saying security operations should be handled only by state institutions, including the army and police.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment