A powerful earthquake struck off the southern Philippines on Monday morning, killing at least five people, prompting tsunami warnings across parts of the country and triggering alerts in neighbouring nations as authorities rushed to assess the scale of damage.
The offshore earthquake measured 7.8 in magnitude and struck near Mindanao Island at 7:37 am local time, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology. The earthquake triggered tsunami warnings and evacuation orders across parts of the region, with authorities in the Philippines and neighbouring countries asking residents in coastal areas to move to higher ground.
The epicentre was located about 32 km southwest of Maasim town in Sarangani province at a depth of 33 km.
At least five people were killed in the earthquake, according to a report by Xinhua citing Agripino Dacera, disaster management chief of General Santos City. Authorities were continuing to verify the extent of casualties and damage in affected areas.
Following the earthquake, Philippine authorities issued a tsunami warning covering nine coastal provinces and urged residents in vulnerable areas to immediately move to higher ground or farther inland. Officials warned that the first waves could arrive within hours and continue through the morning.
Local media reports said tremors were felt across several neighbouring provinces. Some buildings reportedly sustained damage, while power outages were also reported in parts of the affected region.
Authorities were still assessing the full extent of the damage, with reports of casualties, structural damage and power disruptions emerging from parts of southern Mindanao. Emergency teams continued to monitor coastal communities closest to the epicentre, where the shaking was reported to be particularly strong.
Emergency response activated across the Philippines
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said emergency response agencies had been activated, including the Office of Civil Defence and the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said it had begun coordinating with local government units across Mindanao. According to the Philippine News Agency, Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian said more than 1.1 million family food packs were available in Mindanao for immediate distribution to affected families.
The DSWD’s Disaster Response Management Group also reported that around 4.7 million family food packs had been prepositioned nationwide for emergency deployment. Quick Response Teams have been placed on standby and are coordinating with local authorities for possible resource augmentation.
“DSWD is more than ready to provide immediate response by supporting the needs of the affected families in the entire Mindanao,” Gatchalian said, adding that field offices had been directed to coordinate closely with local governments and deploy social workers to evacuation centres.
He also instructed concerned field offices to deploy mobile command centres, mobile kitchens and other emergency resources where required.
Tsunami warnings issued in Philippines and Indonesia
Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency also issued an early tsunami warning for coastal areas in the country’s northeast following the quake.
Authorities in the Philippines ordered residents in nine provinces, including Sarangani, Davao Occidental, Tawi-Tawi and Sulu, to move immediately to higher ground or farther inland. Similar evacuation advisories were issued in parts of Indonesia’s North Sulawesi, North Gorontalo and the Sangihe Islands.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center warned that tsunami waves of up to three metres could strike parts of the Philippines, while waves of up to one metre were possible in coastal areas of Indonesia and Malaysia. Alerts were also issued in Japan, Taiwan and several Pacific island regions.
According to Japan’s Meteorological Agency, the first waves were expected to reach the Philippines and parts of Indonesia around 10 am local time, followed by southern Japan and Taiwan about an hour later.
NCS records two strong tremors
Meanwhile, India’s National Centre for Seismology (NCS), in a post on X, said a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck at 5:07 am IST at a depth of 93 km.
“EQ of M: 7.7, On: 08/06/2026 05:07:45 IST, Lat: 5.635 N, Long: 125.147 E, Depth: 93 Km, Location: Philippines,” the agency said.
A second strong tremor followed minutes later. The NCS reported a magnitude 6.4 earthquake at 5:18 am IST, occurring at a depth of 79 km.
“EQ of M: 6.4, On: 08/06/2026 05:18:10 IST, Lat: 5.605 N, Long: 125.408 E, Depth: 79 Km, Location: Philippines,” the NCS added.
Seismic activity is a recurring feature of life in the Philippines, which sits atop the Pacific Ring of Fire, one of the world’s most active earthquake zones.
Evacuation efforts remained underway in several countries as authorities kept a close watch on sea conditions and appealed to coastal residents to heed official warnings.