A 7.8-magnitude earthquake strikes the southern Philippines and 32 people are feared dead

A drone photo shows a collapsed building after a 7.8 magnitude earthquake in General Santos, Mindanao Island, Philippines, June 8, 2026.

Gensan Dave | Via Reuters

The death toll from a powerful 7.8-magnitude earthquake off the southern Philippine island of Mindanao on Monday rose to at least 32 people and dozens were injured, disaster officials said, as Manila intensified search and rescue operations.

The earthquake, which sparked tsunami warnings in several countries, occurred early in the morning about 20 kilometers off Sarangani province, and tremors were strongly felt throughout Mindanao and 420 kilometers away in the city of Manado on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi.

The Philippines has mobilized military and disaster response teams, and authorities are verifying initial reports that 32 people were killed and 134 injured across Mindanao, mostly by falling debris and landslides, according to civil defense officials.

Tsunami warnings were canceled more than six hours later in the southern Philippines, northern Indonesia and the Malaysian state of Sabah on the island of Borneo, where residents in coastal areas were asked to immediately evacuate their homes to higher ground.

The disaster came eight months after the Philippines suffered its largest earthquake in 12 years, when a 6.9-magnitude earthquake struck off the central island of Cebu, killing 79 people. Two powerful earthquakes struck Mindanao two weeks later, the strongest of which was a magnitude of 7.4.

“We will not leave Mindanao behind,” the president says.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered an immediate response to the disaster in Mindanao, an island the size of South Korea, while directing agencies to prepare relief supplies and evacuation centers and prepare for possible rescue operations.

“The national government is moving and we will not leave Mindanao behind,” Marcos said in a statement.

The Philippines and Indonesia are hit by hundreds of earthquakes every year and are located in tectonically complex parts of the “Pacific Ring of Fire,” a seismically active belt that extends from South America to the Russian Far East.

Damage to buildings, facilities and infrastructure is still being assessed, but the worst-hit area is General Santos, a city with a population of about 700,000, where shops and buildings were damaged, some with broken signs and glass, others reduced to piles of concrete and rubble.

A partially collapsed building following a 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck the southern Philippines, in General Santos City, Philippines, on June 8, 2026.

Daniel Singh | Anatolia | Getty Images

A video posted by the local government showed the collapse of a building housing a fast food restaurant, with terrified onlookers fleeing as a cloud of dust quickly spread into the air.

A General Santos hospital was evacuated due to fears of cracks on the upper floors. A building collapsed in the Notre Dame Cathedral of Dadiangas University, but there was no one inside.

“I had to bend down and take cover under the table. It was very tall and strong,” university president Manuel de Leon told DZMM radio.

Strong aftershocks throughout Mindanao

The Philippine Seismological Agency said there were more than 200 aftershocks, at least nine of which were strong and felt by Mindanao residents, with the highest magnitude measuring 6.7.

The earthquake occurred while schools were returning from a long vacation.

A video clip published by a school at the moment of the earthquake showed a large group of children sitting on the ground and swaying quickly from side to side, some of them hugging teachers, before they fled en masse after a temporary shelter collapsed behind them.

Benji Ancheta, police chief of Alabile town in Sarangani, said the earthquake occurred during a police flag-raising ceremony, causing some people to faint.

“This is the strongest earthquake we have ever seen,” Ancheta said by phone.

Indonesian islanders move to higher ground

The US Tsunami Warning System said that several countries might be affected, and Australia initially warned of the possibility of tsunami waves on its northern coast.

The Japan Meteorological Agency issued a warning and said that a tsunami measuring 0.2 meters high or less had been detected, with some disruption to ferries and precautionary closure of beaches.

Witnesses in Manado, Indonesia, said they felt the earthquake strongly. Only minor damage was reported, according to Abdul Mahari, spokesman for Indonesia’s disaster mitigation agency.

A tsunami with waves reaching 0.75 meters in height was detected in some areas in North Sulawesi, as people began moving to safer areas, including residents of the remote Sanjehi Islands, which are among the closest to the Philippines.

Choose CNBC as your preferred source on Google and never miss a single moment of the most trusted name in business news.

What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2020, / Compare-autoinsurance.Org has launched a new blog post that presents the main benefits of comparing multiple car insurance quotes. For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/the-advantages-of-comparing-prices-with-car-insurance-quotes-online/ The modern society has numerous technological advantages. One important advantage is the speed at which information is sent and received. With the help of the internet, the shopping habits of many persons have drastically changed. The car insurance industry hasn't remained untouched by these changes. On the internet, drivers can compare insurance prices and find out which sellers have the best offers. View photos The advantages of comparing online car insurance quotes are the following: Online quotes can be obtained from anywhere and at any time. Unlike physical insurance agencies, websites don't have a specific schedule and they are available at any time. Drivers that have busy working schedules, can compare quotes from anywhere and at any time, even at midnight. Multiple choices. Almost all insurance providers, no matter if they are well-known brands or just local insurers, have an online presence. Online quotes will allow policyholders the chance to discover multiple insurance companies and check their prices. Drivers are no longer required to get quotes from just a few known insurance companies. Also, local and regional insurers can provide lower insurance rates for the same services. Accurate insurance estimates. Online quotes can only be accurate if the customers provide accurate and real info about their car models and driving history. Lying about past driving incidents can make the price estimates to be lower, but when dealing with an insurance company lying to them is useless. Usually, insurance companies will do research about a potential customer before granting him coverage. Online quotes can be sorted easily. Although drivers are recommended to not choose a policy just based on its price, drivers can easily sort quotes by insurance price. Using brokerage websites will allow drivers to get quotes from multiple insurers, thus making the comparison faster and easier. For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ Compare-autoinsurance.Org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "Online quotes can easily help drivers obtain better car insurance deals. All they have to do is to complete an online form with accurate and real info, then compare prices", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing CompanyPerson for contact Name: Gurgu CPhone Number: (818) 359-3898Email: [email protected]: https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ SOURCE: Compare-autoinsurance.Org View source version on accesswire.Com:https://www.Accesswire.Com/595055/What-Are-The-Main-Benefits-Of-Comparing-Car-Insurance-Quotes-Online View photos