A 7.8 magnitude earthquake tore through the southern Philippines on Monday morning, killing at least 35 people, injuring more than 200, and sending tsunami waves crashing into the coast of Mindanao while schoolchildren screamed and huddled on the ground outside their classrooms.
The quake struck at 7:37 a.m. local time at a depth of 34 miles, roughly 65 miles southwest of General Santos City, a commerce hub of more than 700,000 people. Within minutes, buildings collapsed, homes crumbled, and a tsunami warning blanketed the island of Mindanao.
By late morning, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology had recorded around 138 aftershocks, with magnitudes ranging from 1.3 to 6.7. At least 12 people remained missing in General Santos City alone. Officials feared the death toll would keep climbing as communication lines between towns were restored.
Video from Deped Mahayahay Elementary School captured children crouching low to the ground, holding their heads, and pressing together outside the building as the earth shook. Staff members ran to comfort them and pulled children away from a corrugated metal shelter that eventually gave way, The US Sun reported. The children scattered as the structure buckled.
Authorities were also checking reports that students had been trapped in a two-story school in General Santos City. No confirmation of that had been provided at the time of reporting.
Separate footage showed the aftermath across the region: a collapsed Jollibee restaurant in General Santos City, damaged mosques, flattened houses, and emergency response teams flooding into the worst-hit areas to begin rescue operations.
Before the tsunami warning was lifted, fears spread that waves nearly 10 feet high could slam into the archipelago's southern coast. Several waves did hit Mindanao between 7:42 and 8:45 a.m. local time. The highest recorded wave measured 4.6 feet.
The effects rippled far beyond the Philippines. Indonesia's Sulawesi island recorded a 2.7-foot tsunami. One-foot waves were measured in Palau. Even the remote Japanese island of Chichijima detected waves of 7.8 inches. The quake was felt in Malaysia's Sabah state on Borneo.
After an extended two-hour observation period, the Philippines seismology agency lifted the warning. The agency stated that "minor sea level disturbances continued to be recorded; however, these observed wave heights are too small to cause damage."
At least seven people died in General Santos City, officials said. Nine others were killed across the southern provinces of South Cotabato, Davao Occidental, and on Balut Island, deaths attributed mostly to falling debris, a damaged mosque, and a landslide.
Sgt. Robert Dagon of the General Santos City police described a scene of widespread destruction and frantic rescue work:
"Many buildings were affected, but I cannot enumerate them now because we are busy with ongoing rescues. A number of buildings collapsed. Some houses also collapsed."
That blunt assessment captures the reality on the ground. First responders were not counting damage, they were digging people out.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. urged residents in tsunami-prone areas to seek higher ground immediately after the quake. His message was direct:
"Do not wait. Your life is more important than anything left behind."
Marcos later said disaster-response teams were on standby and declared that the government "will not leave Mindanao behind." Emergency rescue operations launched in the worst-hit areas, though the full scope of the damage remained unclear as officials worked to reestablish contact with isolated towns.
Several critical questions hung over the disaster as Monday wore on. The names and ages of the dead had not been publicly released. Whether students were actually trapped in the two-story school in General Santos City remained unconfirmed. The total casualty count, 35 dead, more than 200 injured, was expected to rise as rescue crews reached more remote communities.
Communication breakdowns between towns meant that officials were still assembling a full picture of the destruction hours after the quake hit. With 138 aftershocks rattling the region by 11 a.m. and the strongest measuring 6.7, the danger had not passed.
Natural disasters do not respect politics. But the speed, competence, and honesty of a government's response tell you everything about whether its people can trust it when the ground gives way.
