7.8 Quake Off Southern Philippines Kills 41 Injures 450

A powerful earthquake struck off the southern Philippines on Monday, June 8, killing dozens, injuring hundreds, and triggering widespread tsunami warnings across the Pacific region. The quake, the strongest to hit the country this year, inflicted severe damage on coastal communities in Mindanao as the region began a massive recovery effort.

The magnitude 7.8 tremor occurred at 7:37 a.m. local time, with an epicenter located off the coast of Sarangani province. The shaking was felt strongly across Mindanao and as far as Manado, Indonesia. Initial tsunami warnings were issued for coastal areas of the Philippines, Indonesia, Palau, Taiwan, Papua New Guinea, and parts of Japan, prompting urgent evacuations. These alerts were later lifted by midday Monday as the immediate tsunami threat passed.

The death toll has risen to at least 41 people, with more than 450 injured and four individuals reported missing. The fatalities include 13 villagers killed in a landslide in Glan, Sarangani province. The coastal city of General Santos, with a population of about 720,000, sustained some of the worst damage, with collapsed buildings and downed power lines. A state of calamity has been declared...