A magnitude 7.8 tremor struck below southern Mindanao, and the philippines earthquake prompted tsunami warnings and large population exposure, officials said.
Officials from the disaster agency said at least 32 people were killed and more than 200 were injured, with some people reported missing.
The US Geological Survey located the quake about 24.7 kilometers west south west of the Philippine town of Burias and estimated a depth of 35 kilometers.
General Santos city was among the hardest hit urban areas, and Master Sergeant Robert Dagon of the General Santos City police said many buildings were affected and some houses and structures had collapsed while rescue work continued.
Seismological agencies in the Philippines and Indonesia issued tsunami warnings and advised coastal residents to move to higher ground or travel inland, and both countries later lifted their alerts.
Tsunami damage was reported in at least one village after waves of about 1 meter entered nearby coasts, and tsunami.gov recorded a 0.8 meter wave in Sulawesi and a 0.5 meter rise in Davao, according to official measurements.
Damage Estimates Aftershocks And Scientific Assessment
The USGS PAGER system estimated that over one million people experienced intensity VIII shaking, and it warned that fatalities were likely based on shaking, population, and infrastructure vulnerability.
Reports and photos indicate building collapses in multiple locations, and the European Mediterranean Seismological Centre received firsthand accounts of heavy damage in General Santos.
A number of aftershocks were recorded, including three above magnitude 6, and the largest aftershock reached magnitude 6.5 about an hour after the mainshock, as noted in technical reporting.
Earthquake analysis suggests the event may be an intraslab earthquake related to deformation of the subducting slab near the Cotabato Trench, a conclusion reached by scientific observers studying focal mechanisms and depth.
Intraslab quakes of this type can still cause severe damage when they occur near populated areas, and the USGS noted significant landsliding and liquefaction are possible in affected terrain and low lying coastal zones.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said the national government is moving to coordinate disaster response and will not leave Mindanao behind, as authorities prioritized rescues and rapid relief efforts.
