At least 37 people have died in the powerful 7.8-magnitude earthquake that shook the southern coast of the island of Mindanao in the Philippines on June 8.
More than 200 have been injured, and at least 12 people remain missing.
This is the strongest earthquake in the country since 1990 and is considered one of the most destructive seismic events in the region in the last five decades.
Most of the deaths were recorded in Sarangani province, where a landslide in the municipality of Glan killed 13 villagers, and in the city of General Santos. More than 203 people were injured, mostly from falling debris, collapsing walls and panic.
Rescue teams are still searching for at least 12 people believed to be trapped under the rubble of collapsed commercial buildings and warehouses.
The earthquake struck at 7:37 a.m. local time — coinciding with the first day of school after summer vacation — and caused widespread chaos. In the city of General Santos, many buildings were completely or partially destroyed. Photos and videos on social media showed the collapse of a Jollibee fast-food restaurant, as well as extensive damage to the SM Mall. Roofs and canopies of several schools collapsed. Miraculously, there was no mass tragedy among the children, as the students were in the courtyard for the morning flag-raising ceremony when the quake struck.
The General Santos International Airport was temporarily closed and dozens of domestic flights were canceled. More than 130 aftershocks were recorded, with the strongest reaching a magnitude of 6.5. Seismologists are warning people not to enter damaged buildings.
The quake triggered local tsunami warnings in the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia and Japan. The highest wave measured was 1.40 meters in the coastal city of Kiamba. Fortunately, the waves did not cause any further major damage or casualties, and the warnings were lifted a few hours later.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. immediately canceled classes in the affected provinces and mobilized national disaster response agencies, assuring that “the government is acting and Mindanao will not be abandoned“.