Philippines: at least 15 dead and strong tsunami warning after 7.8 earthquake strikes southern Philippines

A strong earthquake of magnitude 7.8 struck southern Philippines Monday, leaving at least 15 people dead and around 100 injured, dozens of buildings collapsed and triggering tsunami warnings in several coastal areas of the country and neighboring countries.

The quake, whose epicenter was located off the coast south of General Santos, a city of some 720,000 inhabitants, was felt with great intensity and was followed by several powerful aftershocks, the strongest of which had a magnitude 6.5.

Marcos orders immediate evacuation

Images spread on social networks show the dramatic moment when a shopping center with a Jollibee restaurant was reduced to rubble in General Santos, while another video shows small children screaming in terror in the arms of their teachers during the intense movement.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. immediately suspended classes across the island of Mindanao and asked residents in coastal areas to evacuate immediately to higher ground. "Move to higher ground now. Don't wait. Your lives are more important than anything you leave behind," he declared.

General Santos airport closed

So far, authorities have confirmed 15 dead, most in the Soccskargen region. In addition, significant infrastructure damage was reported and the General Santos airport and other facilities were temporarily closed.

The Philippines is located in the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, one of the most seismically active areas in the world, where earthquakes are frequent. This new event is in addition to other strong earthquakes that have occurred in recent months in different regions of the archipelago.