Philippines quake kills 32, injures 200+, triggers tsunami alerts

A magnitude‑7.8 earthquake struck off Mindanao in the Philippines on the morning of 8 June. The epicentre was about 20‑35 km offshore, at a depth of roughly 10‑35 km. At least 32 people have been confirmed dead and more than 200 injured, with dozens still missing. The shock caused buildings to collapse and critical infrastructure to be damaged in General Santos and surrounding towns, prompting the temporary closure of the city’s airport and the cancellation of dozens of flights.

Tsunami warnings were issued for coastal areas of the Philippines, Indonesia, Palau, Malaysia’s Sabah region and Japan. Waves up to 1.4 m were recorded in Sarangani province, while smaller surges were observed on Okinawa, Chichijima, Indonesia and Palau. The alerts were lifted after about six hours. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr ordered school closures, mobilised disaster‑response teams and pledged aid, declaring that the government would not abandon Mindanao. The quake was also felt in Malaysia and Indonesia and monitored by agencies in New Zealand and Japan, which warned over 190 000 residents in several Japanese prefectures to evacuate to higher ground.