Philippines earthquake kills 15, prompts tsunami alerts across region

A powerful magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck offshore southern Philippines near Mindanao on Monday morning local time, triggering tsunami alerts in several countries and reports of casualties. The quake hit off the island's southern tip, near Sarangani province, and was felt across a wide area. Authorities in the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia and Japan all issued warnings or advisories as the situation developed.

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The United States Geological Survey said the earthquake struck shortly before 7:40am local time, or 23:40 GMT on Sunday. It was centred 32km west of Maasim in Sarangani province and occurred at an estimated depth of 33km. By late morning, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology had recorded 138 aftershocks, with the strongest measured at magnitude 6.7.

Philippine authorities were still assessing the damage and verifying early casualty reports. The office of civil defence said it was checking initial accounts that 15 people had been killed and 129 injured, mostly from falling debris. The tremors were felt strongly in a dozen provinces, and schools were reopening after a long break when the quake struck.

In Indonesia, people in Manado and the Sangihe Islands moved to higher ground as tsunami concerns spread. The event matters because it affected several countries around the western Pacific and prompted precautionary measures far beyond the epicentre. Tsunami alerts were issued in the southern Philippines, northern Indonesia and the Malaysian state of Sabah, while Japan's meteorological agency issued an advisory and reported a tsunami of 0.2 metres or lower.

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The US Tsunami Warning System said multiple countries could be affected, and Australia also briefly warned of possible waves on its northern coasts. The quake also comes eight months after the Philippines experienced its strongest earthquake in 12 years, underlining the country's exposure to major seismic events. The latest tremor was felt as far away as Manado on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, about 420km from the epicentre.

Indonesian officials said only minor damage had been reported, but the warning period prompted evacuations in some coastal areas. What remains unclear is the full scale of damage, the final casualty count and whether the tsunami alerts will lead to any significant coastal impact. Philippine officials are continuing to verify reports from affected areas, while regional agencies monitor aftershocks and sea conditions.

The next developments to watch are updated casualty figures, any confirmed tsunami measurements and whether further evacuations are ordered.

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