A magnitude-7.8 earthquake struck off the southern coast of Mindanao in the Philippines early Monday morning, killing at least 19 people and injuring more than 130, local disaster officials reported. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology confirmed the quake at 7:37 a.m. local time at a depth of approximately 32 kilometers, followed by multiple aftershocks. A series of tsunami alerts were issued for coastal communities in the region, with residents advised to move to higher ground.
The earthquake came on the first day of the school year in the Philippines. Social media videos showed collapsed buildings, including a Jollibee fast food restaurant reduced to rubble in the city of General Santos. Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. issued an executive order suspending classes and government work in affected areas, and directed disaster response agencies to conduct immediate assessments. Full details of damage across the rural mountainous region of Mindanao, a historically impoverished region, remained incomplete as darkness and disrupted communications hindered field reporting.