Philippine earthquake kills at least 37 and displaces more than 20,000 in Mindanao

Rescuers in the southern Philippines searched damaged buildings on Tuesday after a strong offshore earthquake centred near Mindanao killed at least 37 people and displaced more than 20,000. The quake struck on Monday morning and caused damage across several provinces, with officials warning that some collapsed or heavily damaged structures still needed to be checked for survivors or additional casualties. Many of those forced from their homes moved into emergency shelters after fears of a tsunami spread through coastal communities.

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The earthquake measured 7.8 magnitude, according to the supplied report, and was one of the strongest to hit the country in half a century. Nearly 500 people were injured, while only four people were listed as missing on official records in the southern provinces near the epicentre. The Office of Civil Defence said several buildings had collapsed or been badly damaged and would need thorough inspection before people could safely return.

The death toll included at least 13 people in General Santos, where officials said some were killed in collapsed buildings and by falling debris. At least 18 more died in Sarangani province, mostly in a landslide that buried houses in the mountain town of Glan, according to the Office of Civil Defence. Other deaths were reported in South Cotabato, Davao Occidental and on Balut Island.

About 2,000 houses and 117 government buildings and facilities were damaged in the initial assessment, and the international airport in General Santos remained closed, leading to the cancellation of 63 domestic flights except humanitarian missions. The disaster has immediate humanitarian and economic consequences because it hit a densely populated and economically active part of the southern Philippines. General Santos is described in the report as a coastal city of more than 700,000 people, and the closure of its airport has disrupted travel and emergency logistics.

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The quake also struck on the first day of classes after a two-month summer break, leaving many injured among students gathered for morning flag-raising ceremonies and forcing authorities to assess around 6,000 public school buildings before lessons can resume. The tsunami threat added to the scale of the emergency. Waves up to 1.4 metres above tide level were measured in the Philippines, although the only reported tsunami damage there was to six stilt houses in a coastal village.

Smaller waves were also reported in Indonesia and Palau, and as far away as southern Japan, showing how a major offshore quake can affect several countries around the region. The report said many people who fled their homes did so because they feared a larger wave could follow. Officials have warned that cracked buildings could still collapse because of aftershocks, some of them described as dangerously powerful.

The Office of Civil Defence said rescue teams were still checking damaged structures and that the number of missing people remained low, but the situation could change as inspections continue. What remains unclear is whether further casualties will be found in the damaged buildings and how long it will take for schools, transport links and public facilities to reopen safely.

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