Phivolcs to quake-hit areas in Mindanao: Expect aftershocks, stay away from damaged buildings

UPDATED (June 8, 2026; 2:45 p.m.) - At least 15 people were feared dead in Mindana in southern Philippines on Monday after a powerful magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck off the island of Mindanao, triggering tsunami warnings across several countries.

The quake came early in the morning as schools were reopening in the Philippines after a long break, with the tremors felt strongly in a dozen provinces and 420 kilometers (261 miles) away in the city of Manado on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi.

Tsunami alerts were issued in the southern Philippines, northern Indonesia and the Malaysian state of Sabah on Borneo island after the quake with an epicentre located about 20 km (12.4 miles) off Mindanao's Sarangani province.

The Philippines and Indonesia experience hundreds of quakes each year and sit on tectonically complex parts of the "Pacific Ring of Fire", a seismically active belt stretching from South America to the Russian Far East.

Monday's earthquake comes eight months after the Philippines suffered its deadliest tremor in 12 years, when a shallow 6.9 magnitude quake hit off the island of Cebu, killing 79 people. Two powerful quakes struck Mindanao two weeks later, the strongest at a magnitude 7.4.

15 REPORTED KILLED

Meanwhile, Philippine authorities are assessing the damage from the quake and the Office of Civil Defence seeking to verifying initial reports that 15 people had been killed and 129 injured in the region, mostly from falling debris.

 Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) Director Teresito Bacolcol said people in areas affected by the magnitude 7.8 Sarangani earthquake on Monday should expect aftershocks and remain evacuated until the tsunami warning is lifted.

"People should stay away from damaged buildings, and check for cracks," Bacolcol told the Philippine News Agency (PNA) in an interview.

Bacolcol also explained that Phivolcs' standard operating procedure is for tsunami warnings to be lifted two hours after the expected latest tsunami arrival time.

Meanwhile, the PNA also reported that Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) announced a temporary suspension of operations at General Santos Airport following the earthquake in Sarangani.

"Assessments of air navigation facilities, equipment, and operational capabilities are currently underway to ensure the continued safety and integrity of airport operations," CAAP said in a statement. 

DZBB radio, broadcasting from General Santos City, about 15 kilometers (9.3 miles) from the epicenter, reported instances of falling furniture, damage to televisions and other appliances as the area experienced aftershocks and people left their homes to seek safety.

The General Santos disaster office said aftershocks were still being felt and authorities were assessing reports of damage and some injuries.

The earthquake, generated by the Cotabato Trench, affected several areas in Mindanao.

Arlene Hollero, disaster chief of Maasim town in Sarangani province, said evacuation was underway in coastal villages.

Water in the area reportedly receded shortly after the quake, but the seas were normal so far, Hollero said.

However, a bridge in the area suffered some cracks and a shrine with a huge cross collapsed.

Power and telecommunications were down and school classes were suspended in the area, said Sarangani local disaster chief Rene Punzalan.

DISASTER RESPONSE UNDERWAY IN PHILIPPINES

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr .said authorities were moving fast to coordinate disaster response.

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

The Philippines and Indonesia experience hundreds of quakes each year and sit on tectonically complex parts of the "Pacific Ring of Fire", a seismically active belt stretching from South America to the Russian Far East.

Phivolcs, the Philippine agency, warned of damage and tsunami waves above one meter (yard), which could continue for several hours. Indonesia's geophysics agency BKMG said waves of 0.19 m (8 inches) had been detected so far.

Benjie Ancheta, police chief of Alabel town in Sarangani, said the police building had some cracks after the quake, which occurred during their flag-raising ceremony, where some people fainted.

"This is the strongest earthquake we've experienced," Ancheta told Reuters by phone.

EVACUATION OF COASTAL AREAS UNDERWAY

The German Research Centre for Geosciences said the 7.8 magnitude quake struck at a depth of 10 kilometers (6.2 miles). 

The German research center had earlier reported a magnitude of 8.2 but the  geophysics agencies of the Philippines and Indonesia reported magnitudes of 7.0 and 7.7, respectively.

Witnesses in Indonesia's northern city of Manado and residents and officials in the southern Philippines all said the quake was felt strongly.

A spokesperson for Indonesia disaster mitigation agency said there were no reports of damage so far.

Paraluman News with reports from Karen Lema and Mikhail Flores in Manila, Gayatri Suroyo, Ananda Teresia and Fransiska Nangoy in Jakarta and Gnaneshwar Rajan in Bengaluru; Writing by Martin Petty; Editing by Jacqueline Wong, Tom Hogue and Neil Fullick/Reuters