Magnitude 7.8 Earthquake Strikes Southern Philippine Sea... At Least 15 Dead (Comprehensive 2nd Report)

Over 140 Casualties Due to Building Collapse... Tsunami Up to 1.4m High Also Occurred

A shopping mall building collapsed in southern Philippines due to a magnitude 7.8 earthquake on the 8th (local time). (General Santos [Philippines] AP=Yonhap News)

A magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck southern Philippines on the 8th, leaving at least 15 dead and over 140 casualties.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC), a magnitude 7.8 earthquake was recorded at 7:37 AM (local time) in the waters south of Mindanao Island in the southern Philippines.

The earthquake occurred approximately 60 km south of General Santos City in South Cotabato province, Mindanao Island, with a focal depth of 55.2 km, according to the USGS.

EMSC initially reported the earthquake's magnitude as 8.1 before revising it to 7.8.

Several strong aftershocks, including a magnitude 6.5, followed the powerful earthquake.

According to the Philippine Civil Defense Agency, at least 15 people died and 129 were injured after being trapped in collapsed buildings, AFP reported.

Rod Sosomeña, an official from the local Civil Defense Agency, told AP that at least seven people died in General Santos as several small buildings partially collapsed.

Additionally, five deaths were reported in South Cotabato province, the nearby Davao del Sur province, and Balut Island.

Sosomeña recounted his experience during his commute, saying, "Our pickup truck suddenly jolted, and I thought we had a flat tire." He added, "People ran out of their houses and onto the streets."

A Jollibee fast-food restaurant outlet within a shopping center in General Santos collapsed due to the earthquake, and an unoccupied school building also reportedly crumbled.

Robert Dayan, from the General Santos Police Station, stated, "Several buildings collapsed. Many buildings were damaged, but we are currently busy with rescue operations and cannot list them all individually."

A shopping mall building collapsed in southern Philippines due to a magnitude 7.8 earthquake on the 8th (local time). The sign for the fast-food chain Jollibee is visible. (General Santos [Philippines] Reuters=Yonhap News)

Immediately after the earthquake, the U.S. Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) issued a tsunami warning, citing the possibility of tsunamis in the Philippines, Malaysia, and other regions.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PhiVolcs), a government agency, issued an alert for residents in southern coastal areas adjacent to the epicenter, warning of waves exceeding 1 meter and urging immediate evacuation to higher ground or inland.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. also instructed residents in the affected areas to evacuate to higher ground immediately and to suspend school classes.

Subsequently, tsunami waves of approximately 1 meter, with a maximum height of 1.4 meters, were observed in various coastal areas.

Later in the day, PTWC stated that the tsunami threat had largely subsided but advised local residents to remain vigilant and heed warnings from local authorities, as sea level fluctuations could continue for several more hours.

A tsunami approximately 83 cm high also occurred off the coast of Sulawesi Island in Indonesia, near the Philippines, after which Indonesian authorities lifted the tsunami warning.

In Japan, the Japan Meteorological Agency issued a tsunami advisory for coastlines stretching from Ibaraki to Okinawa prefectures, prompting evacuation orders for approximately 190,000 residents in coastal areas of 10 prefectures, including Okinawa.

Subsequently, tsunamis were observed in various locations, including a 20 cm tsunami that reached Ogasawara Village in the Ogasawara Islands, Japan's southernmost territory.

The Philippines is located in the Pacific Ring of Fire, a region known for frequent earthquakes globally.

In October of last year, a magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck Cebu Island in central Philippines, killing at least 76 people. (Yonhap News)

Magnitude 7.8 Earthquake Strikes Off Mindanao Island, Philippines... Tsunami Warning Issued [Screenshot from the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) website. Reproduction and database prohibited]