BY TNS NEWS TEAM
GENERAL SANTOS, Philippines, June 9 – At least 37 people have died and 479 have been injured following a magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck off Sarangani province on Monday, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), while four people remain missing.
The death toll more than doubled from the 19 fatalities reported on Monday afternoon as rescue teams reached isolated communities and continued searches through collapsed structures overnight.
The Soccsksargen region (Region 12) accounted for the majority of casualties, with 33 deaths, 456 injuries and four missing persons. The Davao region (Region 11) recorded four deaths and 23 injuries. Within Soccsksargen, Sarangani province reported 18 fatalities, followed by General Santos City with 12 and South Cotabato with three.
General Santos City, a major port and the country’s tuna capital with a population of about 720,000, has been placed under a state of calamity after the earthquake damaged buildings, bridges, roads and critical infrastructure.
The earthquake struck at 7.37am local time on Monday. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said the epicentre was located about 32 kilometres south-southwest of Maasim, Sarangani, at a depth of approximately 33 kilometres. Initially measured at magnitude 7.0, the quake was later upgraded to magnitude 7.8 following further analysis.
Authorities described it as the strongest earthquake to hit the Philippines this year, with a maximum intensity of VIII recorded in Malapatan, Sarangani.
The disaster was compounded by its timing, occurring on the opening day of the new school year. State media reported that about 3.2 million students and 128,000 teachers and school personnel were affected, with more than 6,000 schools impacted by the quake.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr ordered the suspension of classes in affected areas.
“The safety of our children comes first,” he said.
By Tuesday morning, Phivolcs had recorded more than 1,000 aftershocks, 21 of which were felt by residents. The strongest aftershock measured about magnitude 6.7.
Phivolcs Director Teresito Bacolcol urged residents to avoid entering damaged structures, warning that continued aftershocks could trigger further collapses.
In the mountainous town of Glan, Sarangani, a landslide killed 14 villagers. In General Santos City, the collapse of a warehouse wall reportedly claimed two lives. St Elizabeth Hospital sustained significant damage, forcing patients and medical personnel to continue treatment operations outside the main building. A major access bridge in the city also suffered severe structural cracks.
The Office of Civil Defense said more than 17,000 families, or roughly 77,000 people, have been affected. Around 5,000 families are currently sheltering in evacuation centres.
The Philippine Coast Guard deployed 150 responders to General Santos on Tuesday to assist in search-and-rescue operations and locate those still missing.
Power and transportation services across southern Mindanao were severely disrupted. At the peak of the outage, about 157,000 electricity consumers lost power. Two generating facilities — the SMC Malita Coal Plant in Davao Occidental and the Sarangani Energy Corporation plant in Maasim — were automatically shut down, removing about 832 megawatts from the grid.
By Tuesday, Energy Secretary Sharon Garin said electricity supply in most affected areas had been substantially restored, while repairs to generating facilities and transmission systems were progressing.
General Santos International Airport was temporarily closed, resulting in the cancellation of 17 domestic flights.
The offshore earthquake also generated a tsunami, with waves of about one metre recorded in several coastal locations and the highest reaching approximately 1.4 metres. Authorities issued warnings across parts of the southern Philippines, the Sulu Archipelago and neighbouring countries including Indonesia, Malaysia, Palau and Japan, prompting precautionary evacuations in some coastal communities.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center later said the threat had largely subsided about five hours after the main quake, while Phivolcs lifted all tsunami warnings by Monday afternoon.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said disaster-response agencies had been mobilised and directed government departments to expedite relief operations, damage assessments and the delivery of emergency supplies.
“The national government is moving and we will not leave Mindanao behind,” he said.
Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim also extended condolences and offered assistance following the disaster.
In a statement posted on his Facebook page on Monday, Anwar said Malaysia stood in solidarity with the Philippines during the difficult period.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the Filipino people,” he wrote. “Malaysia stands ready to render whatever assistance may be required.”
Anwar said he was also mindful of the impact felt closer to home, with tremors reported in parts of Sabah, and assured Malaysians that the government was closely monitoring developments while emergency services remained on full alert.
Describing Malaysia and the Philippines as “close friends and ASEAN partners”, he prayed for the safety, strength and well-being of all those affected by the earthquake.
The United States said it was coordinating closely with Manila and stood ready to assist relief efforts. France, Japan and New Zealand also expressed support.
The Philippines sits along the Pacific Ring of Fire, a seismically active zone where earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur frequently. Authorities warned that the death toll could rise further as assessment teams gain access to remote communities still cut off by damaged roads and landslides.
- TNS NEWS