A powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 7.8 struck the southern Philippines on Monday, killing at least 37 people and leaving a trail of destruction across several provinces. The quake, one of the strongest to hit the country in half a century, injured nearly 500 people and displaced more than 32,000, many of whom fled to emergency shelters fearing a tsunami.
Rescuers continued searching through collapsed buildings on Tuesday to ensure no one remained trapped, with only four people officially listed as missing. The Office of Civil Defense acknowledged that several heavily damaged structures must be thoroughly inspected for possible survivors or casualties.
The earthquake was centered off Mindanao, the country's second most populous island, at a depth of 33 kilometers (20 miles), about 32 kilometers (20 miles) southwest of Maasim town in Sarangani province. It was triggered by movement in the Cotabato Trench, the same undersea depression that caused an 8.1-magnitude quake and tsunami in 1976 that killed about 8,000 people.
This time, tsunami waves up to 1.6 feet above tide level were measured in the Philippines, but only minor damage was reported, including to six shanties on stilts in a coastal village. Smaller waves washed ashore in Indonesia, Palau, and as far away as southern Japan.
Landslides and building collapses caused many of the deaths. In General Santos, a coastal city of more than 700,000 people known as the country's tuna capital, at least 13 people were killed by collapsing buildings and falling debris.
At least 18 died in Sarangani province, mostly in a landslide that buried houses in the mountainside town of Glan, according to Rafaelito Alejandro of the Office of Civil Defense. Other deaths were reported in South Cotabato, Davao Occidental, and on Balut Island.
About 2,500 houses and 117 government buildings and facilities were damaged across several provinces, according to an initial government assessment.
The international airport in General Santos remained closed for a second day, forcing the cancellation of 63 domestic flights except for humanitarian missions. About 6,000 public school buildings in quake-hit provinces must be assessed before classes can resume.
The quake struck on the first day of classes nationwide after a two-month summer break, and many of the injured were young students who had gathered for morning flag-raising ceremonies. Authorities warned that buildings with cracks could collapse due to aftershocks, some of which were dangerously powerful.
"We cannot force the immediate reopening of schools because we have to ensure the integrity of the buildings," Alejandro said.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. deployed top defense and mitigation officials from Manila to help oversee search and rescue operations, distribute tens of thousands of food packs and construction materials to victims, and assess damage to bridges, roads, and other infrastructure.
The United States, a treaty ally of the Philippines, said it was coordinating with Manila and ready to support response efforts. France, Japan, and New Zealand also expressed support.
The Philippines is frequently 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 battered by about 20 typhoons and tropical storms each year, making it one of the world's most disaster-prone countries.