08/06/2026
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08/06/2026
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MANILA, Jun 8: A powerful 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of the southern Philippines early Monday, causing structural damage, power outages and tsunami waves along nearby shorelines, prompting authorities to issue urgent warnings for coastal communities.
The quake hit at 7:37 a.m. local time and was centered about 13 kilometers southwest of General Santos City at a depth of 10 kilometers, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS). Officials said the earthquake was caused by movement along the Cotabato Trench and is the strongest to hit the country this year.
At least one four-story commercial building in General Santos partially collapsed, forcing occupants to evacuate. Falling debris was also reported from several structures across the city, a major commercial and tuna-processing hub in the southern Philippines. No immediate casualties were reported.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center warned that tsunami waves of up to three meters could affect parts of the Philippines, while waves of up to one meter were possible along some coastlines in Indonesia and Malaysia. Philippine monitoring stations recorded tsunami waves of about one meter in the provinces of Sultan Kudarat and Sarangani.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. urged residents in vulnerable coastal areas to move immediately to higher ground and follow evacuation orders. Disaster-response agencies were placed on standby as authorities assessed damage and monitored aftershocks.
Neighboring countries, including Malaysia and Indonesia, also issued tsunami alerts for coastal regions. An 83-centimeter tsunami wave was recorded off Indonesia’s Sulawesi Island, while smaller sea-level fluctuations were observed across parts of the western Pacific.
The U.S. Geological Survey reported several strong aftershocks, including tremors reaching magnitude 6.5. The Philippines lies along the Pacific Ring of Fire, making it one of the world's most earthquake-prone nations
