A powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck near Mindanao in the southern Philippines on Monday morning, killing at least 12 people and injuring more than 200. The quake happened offshore, about 32 kilometres southwest of Maasim town in Sarangani province. Officials said many injuries happened in damaged buildings, and small tsunami waves reached nearby coasts.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center later said the tsunami danger had mostly passed. Waves about one metre high were recorded in parts of the Philippines, while smaller waves were also detected in Indonesia and Malaysia. Officials said there was no tsunami threat to New Zealand.
General Santos, a busy port city with more than 700,000 people, was one of the worst-hit areas. Some buildings partly collapsed, a bridge developed dangerous cracks, and the city’s airport was temporarily closed. Seventeen domestic flights were cancelled, and rescue workers were checking reports that some students may have been trapped in a collapsed school.
The earthquake was followed by many aftershocks and was even felt in nearby Malaysia. Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said the national government was helping Mindanao. The Philippines often has earthquakes and volcanic eruptions because it lies on the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, where many faults are found around the ocean.
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