7.8-Magnitude Quake Off Southern Philippines Kills at Least 15, Triggers Tsunami Alerts

A magnitude-7.8 earthquake struck off the southern Philippines Monday morning, killing at least 15 people and injuring more than 200 others. The quake was centered about 20 miles southwest of Maasim town in Sarangani province at a depth of roughly 20 miles and generated a 3-foot tsunami that reached nearby coasts.

Smaller waves were recorded in Indonesia, Malaysia, Palau and southern Japan. The event was the strongest to strike the country this year.

General Santos, a southern port city of more than 700,000, was among the hardest-hit areas. At least seven people died and about 130 were injured there, where several small buildings partially collapsed and a key access bridge sustained cracks. Five additional deaths were reported in South Cotabato, Davao Occidental and Balut Island.

Authorities are checking reports of students trapped inside a collapsed two-story school in General Santos, and at least seven people remain missing in the city. Public schools had reopened nationwide Monday after the summer break. More than 100 students at morning flag-raising ceremonies sustained bruises or fainted in panic.

The national government is moving and will not leave Mindanao behind, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said. The international airport in General Santos was temporarily shut, and 17 domestic flights were canceled. " — Teresito Bacolcol, director of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, June 8, 2026 (CBS News) Rod Sosmeña, regional director of the Office of Civil Defense, described the initial jolt: "Our pickup truck suddenly jerked and I thought we had a flat tire.

" The Philippines sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire and experiences frequent earthquakes and volcanic activity. More than 130 aftershocks, with magnitudes ranging from 1.3 to 6.7, were recorded after the initial quake.