Buildings collapse, GenSan airport shuts after 7.8-magnitude quake
MANILA, Philippines (5th update: 02:12 p.m.) — Several were reported killed as buildings collapsed after a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck off Sarangani on Monday morning, June 8, triggering tsunami warnings across the region and emergency response operations in parts of Mindanao.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said classes at all levels in earthquake-affected areas in Mindanao have been suspended. He also directed government agencies to “act immediately” in disaster response and relief operations.
Master Sgt. Robert Dagon of the General Santos City police told Agence France-Presse that "a number of buildings collapsed," including homes, as authorities carried out rescue operations.
"Many buildings were affected, but I cannot enumerate them now because we are busy with ongoing rescues," Dagon told AFP, confirming at least one death and four injuries.
Videos posted on Facebook showed a shopping center with a Jollibee fast food restaurant collapsing into rubble in General Santos City. Another video showed a building on a school campus crumpling.
"Lord, it has really collapsed! It has really collapsed! The building has really collapsed!" a person could be heard shouting in one of the videos.
Phivolcs earlier upgraded the quake to magnitude 7.8 and warned of possible aftershocks and tsunami risk because the tremor struck offshore. The agency said the quake was recorded at 7:37 a.m. at a depth of 33 kilometers and was located 32 kilometers south, 4 degrees west of Maasim, Sarangani.
The bureau said the quake was generated by movement along the Cotabato Trench. "This is also the structure responsible for the 1976 Moro Gulf earthquake that caused large tsunamis and many casualties," Winchelle Ian Sevilla, chief of Phivolcs’ Seismology Division, said in Filipino.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said tsunami waves were possible "within the next three hours" along the coasts of the Philippines, Indonesia, Palau, Taiwan and Papua New Guinea.
The Coast Guard District Southeastern Mindanao suspended all watercraft operations in Davao Occidental following Phivolcs’ tsunami advisory. The suspension covers fishing boats, passenger vessels and commercial watercraft, while coastal monitoring and assessment operations continue.
Airport ops suspended. The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines temporarily suspended operations at General Santos City Airport following the quake and the tsunami warning issued by Phivolcs.
In an advisory, CAAP said a Notice to Airmen was in effect from 8:45 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday while assessments of air navigation facilities, equipment and operational capabilities were underway. Passengers were advised to coordinate with their airlines for flight updates.
Initial reports from frontline emergency agencies and local media in Region 12 said the quake damaged a number of structures in General Santos City, including classrooms. Photos from the city showed severely damaged buildings and shuttered establishments after the tremor, which also caused a widespread power outage.
As of 11 a.m., power services were still out in Sarangani, including General Santos City.
Davao del Sur schools
In Davao del Sur, the Philippine Coast Guard and local emergency responders assisted students of Sta. Cruz National High School after several students sustained minor injuries or reportedly lost consciousness amid the panic caused by the quake.
Authorities said the students were taken to a local hospital for medical evaluation and treatment.
An abandoned building inside the Matanao National High School campus in Davao del Sur also collapsed during the quake, according to school officials. The structure was in a restricted area and had already been damaged by a previous earthquake in 2019.
The school said all students, teachers and parents were outside for the flag-raising ceremony when the tremor struck. No injuries were reported in the Matanao campus incident.
Phivolcs earlier upgraded the quake to magnitude 7.8 and warned of possible aftershocks and tsunami risk because the tremor struck offshore.
The agency reported Intensity 7, classified as destructive, in General Santos City. Instrumental intensity was recorded as high as Intensity 8 in Malapatan, Sarangani.
Earthquakes are frequent in the Philippines, which lies along the Pacific Ring of Fire. Eastern Mindanao was struck by magnitude 7.4 and 6.7 earthquakes in October that killed at least eight people, while a magnitude 6.9 quake days earlier killed 76 people and damaged or destroyed 72,000 houses in Cebu. — reports from John Marwin Elao, Adrian Parungao, Martin Ramos, Renalyn Ramirez, Raphael Bello, John Unson and Agence France-Presse
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