+34
Around 88,000 people across southern Mindanao have been affected, including 22,690 displaced, as aftershocks continue.
Rescue workers look for trapped people at a collapsed grocery store a day after the magnitude 7.8 quake in General Santos, Philippines, June 9 2026.
/ Reuters Doctors treated patients in tents set up under a scorching Philippine sun on Tuesday, including helping a young mother give birth, as the death toll from a major earthquake that collapsed buildings and sparked tsunami warnings topped 40. Thousands remained displaced and more than 450 injured following the magnitude-7.8 quake that struck off the southern island of Mindanao on Monday, according to national and local disaster agencies, though only four people were now believed missing.
The earthquake affected around 88,000 people across southern Mindanao, including 22,690 displaced residents. Officials said many residents remain in open spaces due to continuing aftershocks and concerns about the structural safety of buildings. In hardest-hit Sarangani province, some areas remain accessible only by helicopter and fears of aftershocks were slowing rescue efforts, local officials told reporters at a Tuesday briefing.
"There are still aftershocks, so the rescuers are very cautious in their approach. That's a challenge," said regional civil defence chief Rodrigo Sosmena. A series of powerful aftershocks rocked the area from about two hours after the first quake, while hundreds of tiny quakes followed. Infrastructure damage, meanwhile, means some communities will be cut off for at least a week because of the damage to roads and the collapse of a bridge.
AFP reporters heard cries of "push" then an infant's cries as a mother gave birth outdoors behind a makeshift screen. In Glan municipality, where at least 13 people were buried in their homes by a landslide, staff at another hospital said more than 60 patients were on beds outside the facility due to fears for the building's structural integrity.
"The hospital sustained a lot of damage," she said. "The municipal engineer decided we could not use the building. "Authorities reported damage to nine bridges and 19 roads, with infrastructure losses estimated at more than 900 million pesos . Nepali Everest survivor out of intensive care as calls for a probe growA total of 1,889 houses were damaged, including around 1,500 that were completely destroyed.
Property losses were estimated at 15 million pesos , while assessments are continuing and figures may still change. The Department of Education reported significant damage to schools across Mindanao. According to an early assessment, 1,159 classrooms in 231 public schools across five regions were damaged.
Outside a collapsed grocery store in General Santos, rescuers resumed efforts after an overnight break to recover two store employees who were inside when the building crumpled.journalists watched as rescue dogs and their handlers scoured the pile of broken concrete and jagged metal bars. A local rescuer told reporters the effort was now one of recovery rather than rescue, though a more senior official later insisted that decision had yet to be formally made.
At a nearby beach resort, a high-speed Coast Guard vessel plied the waters for two people who went missing while swimming in waters that churned violently as the quake struck. Videos posted to social media on Monday showed the catastrophic collapse of a shopping centre with a Jollibee fast food restaurant in General Santos, while an unoccupied school building crumpled in another.
In another video, young schoolchildren could be seen screaming in the arms of their teachers as the quake violently swayed them back and forth on the ground. A flimsy metal structure could be seen toppling in the background as the video uploaded to the school's official Facebook page ends. An accompanying caption said no one was under the structure when it fell.
The earthquake saw thousands ordered to evacuate in coastal areas of the southern Philippines and neighbouring Indonesia as tsunami warnings were issued by multiple countries and a regional tsunami warning centre. Waves that did reach the Pacific coast of Japan, where authorities had issued a tsunami advisory, were reported to be no higher than 20 centimetres. Eastern Mindanao was rocked by a pair of earthquakes of 7.4 and 6.7 magnitude in October that killed at least eight people.
Nepali Everest survivor out of intensive care as calls for a probe growNo reason for Fed to raise interest rate, says TrumpIran-Israel exchange intensifies with missile barrages and cross-border strikesIsrael launches air strikes across Iran as Middle East war explodes againTrump urges Iran to finalise deal, tells Netanyahu 'not to strike' back
Scratch the next story
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News: You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
7.8 Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Mindanao, Triggers Tsunami WarningsA magnitude 7.8 earthquake hit the Mindanao region in the southern Philippines, prompting tsunami warnings for the country and Indonesia. The quake occurred at a depth of 35 km, with tsunami waves expected up to 3 meters. Reports of building damage but no immediate casualties.
Read more »
Global Roundup: Philippines Quake, Tony Awards, and Unusual animal encountersThis comprehensive news summary covers a deadly earthquake in the Philippines, the Tony Awards winners, a stabbing incident in New York, a lawsuit against a UFC event at the White House, and bizarre animal stories including a whale swallowing a kayaker and a drunken raccoon.
Read more »
A 7.8 magnitude quake in the Philippines kills at least 32, collapses buildings and sparks tsunamiMost of the deaths occurred in Sarangani province due to a landslide. The quake struck Monday, causing buildings to collapse and triggering small tsunamis. Waves were detected as far away as Japan.
Read more »
Bay Area Filipino community worried after 7.8 quake strikes southern PhilippinesMembers of the Bay Area's Filipino community expressed worry about loved ones back home after a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck the southern part of the country.
Read more »