The 7.8-magnitude earthquake hit near Mindanao as schools reopened and rescue teams searched damaged buildings.
DAVAO, PHILIPPINES— A 7.8-magnitude offshore earthquake struck the southern Philippines on Monday morning, killing at least 35 people, injuring more than 200 and sending tsunami waves onto nearby coasts as buildings collapsed across parts of Mindanao.
The quake hit at 7:37 a.m. near Sarangani province, shaking General Santos and other southern communities at the start of the workday and the first day of classes after a long school break. Disaster officials said the deaths were tied mostly to landslides, falling debris and collapsed buildings. Authorities deployed rescue teams, suspended classes in affected areas, closed the General Santos airport for safety checks and warned that strong aftershocks could further weaken damaged structures.
The quake was centered at sea off Mindanao, the country’s second most populous island, about 20 miles southwest of Maasim town in Sarangani province, according to Philippine seismology officials. The agency reported a depth of about 20 miles, while the U.S. Geological Survey placed the depth at about 34 miles, a difference common in early earthquake readings. Rod Sosmeña, a regional director of the Office of Civil Defense, said he was traveling in General Santos when his vehicle lurched. “The shaking was very strong and people dashed out of houses into the streets,” Sosmeña said. The shaking was felt across Mindanao and as far as Manado, Indonesia, about 420 kilometers away.
Several low-rise buildings collapsed or were badly damaged in General Santos, a port city of more than 700,000 people and a regional center for tuna exports and other trade. Search and rescue crews looked for people who may have been trapped in a supermarket, a warehouse, a grade school and other small buildings, officials said. At least four people were listed as missing in the city. In Sarangani province, a landslide in Glan killed 13 villagers, provincial disaster official Rene Punzalan said. Four other deaths were reported elsewhere in Sarangani for reasons that remained unclear. Other deaths were reported in South Cotabato, Davao Occidental and on Balut Island, including in damaged buildings and a mosque.
The quake also produced tsunami waves along parts of the southern coast. Philippine officials said 1-meter waves were monitored in Sultan Kudarat and Sarangani, while a 1.4-meter wave was recorded in Kiamba town. Six shanties on stilts were damaged in a coastal village in Zamboanga del Sur, officials said. Smaller waves were detected in Indonesia and Palau and as far away as southern Japan. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said the threat had largely passed about five hours after the quake, and Philippine officials lifted their tsunami warning by mid-afternoon. Authorities in nearby areas, including northern Indonesia and Malaysia’s Sabah state, had earlier told some coastal residents to move inland or to higher ground.
The quake struck as more than 100 children and about a dozen teachers had gathered for a flag-raising ceremony at a rural grade school in Malita, Davao Occidental. Video from the school showed students seated on the ground as the shaking began, with a canopy collapsing nearby. Principal Rosavel Cachuela said the children’s first day of school turned frightening, but no injuries were reported at the campus. In General Santos, residents passed broken signs, shattered glass, damaged shops and piles of concrete. One hospital was evacuated after cracks were reported on higher floors. A building at Notre Dame of Dadiangas University collapsed, but officials said no one was inside at the time.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered classes canceled in quake-hit provinces and directed national agencies to prepare relief supplies, evacuation centers and rescue support. “The national government is moving and we will not leave Mindanao behind,” Marcos said. The United States said it was coordinating with Manila and was ready to support the response. France, Japan and New Zealand also expressed support. The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines said the General Santos airport was temporarily closed because of the earthquake, leading to the cancellation of 17 domestic flights while inspections were underway.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology warned that aftershocks could continue. Officials reported more than 200 aftershocks by Monday, including several strong enough to be felt across Mindanao, with the largest early aftershock measured above magnitude 6. The continued shaking delayed some structural inspections in General Santos because engineers and disaster workers first had to make sure buildings were stable enough to enter. Teresito Bacolcol, the agency’s director, described the event as a major earthquake and cautioned that damaged buildings could still collapse. Damage to roads, utilities, schools, hospitals and homes was still being counted across affected provinces.
The Philippines is one of the world’s most disaster-prone countries, sitting along the Pacific Ring of Fire, an arc of seismic faults and volcanoes around the Pacific Ocean. The country also faces about 20 typhoons and tropical storms each year. Monday’s quake was the strongest to hit the Philippines so far this year and followed a series of damaging tremors in recent months. In 2025, a shallow 6.9-magnitude quake off Cebu killed dozens, and two powerful quakes later struck Mindanao. Officials said the latest disaster again tested local response systems across islands where coastal towns, mountain villages and crowded cities sit close to active faults and offshore trenches.
By Monday afternoon, rescue crews remained at damaged sites in General Santos and nearby provinces, while officials worked to confirm the full death toll, locate missing people and inspect buildings before allowing normal operations to resume.
Author note: Last updated June 8, 2026.