7.8 magnitude quake kills at least 35 in southern Philippines

A 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck the southern Philippines on Monday morning, killing at least 35 people, injuring more than 200 and generating a 1-meter tsunami that reached coasts in four neighboring countries, according to The Associated Press.

The quake — the strongest to hit the Philippines in 2026 — toppled buildings in General Santos, a port city of more than 700,000 people, and highlights the deadly seismic risk facing one of the world's most disaster-prone nations, whose diaspora includes tens of thousands of Filipino-Americans across Southern California.

The earthquake was centered at sea off Mindanao island, about 32 kilometers southwest of Maasim in Sarangani province, at a depth of 33 kilometers, according to the AP. Multiple low-rise buildings collapsed or sustained heavy damage in General Santos, and residents fled their homes into the streets.

"Our pickup truck suddenly jerked and I thought we had a flat tire. The shaking was very strong and people dashed out of houses into the streets," said Rod Sosmeña, regional director of the Office of Civil Defense, speaking to the AP from General Santos.

A landslide triggered by the quake in Glan municipality, Sarangani province, buried and killed 13 villagers, the AP reported. Four additional deaths in Sarangani were attributed to other earthquake-related causes, and four people remained missing in General Santos as of Monday.

The General Santos international airport shut down temporarily following the disaster. The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines canceled 17 domestic flights, the AP said.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center confirmed a 1-meter tsunami struck nearby coasts. Smaller waves were detected in Indonesia at 83 centimeters, Palau at 30 centimeters and Japan at up to 20 centimeters, according to the AP.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered school classes canceled and directed disaster-response agencies to mobilize, saying "the national government is moving and we will not leave Mindanao behind." The quake hit on the first day of the school year. "Their excitement on the first day of school turned to trauma," said Rosavel Cachuela, a grade school principal, in an interview with the AP.

The Philippines lies on the Pacific Ring of Fire, an arc of seismic faults encircling the ocean that makes the archipelago one of the world's most disaster-prone nations. Monday's earthquake was the strongest to hit the country in 2026, according to the AP.