Philippines magnitude‑7.8 quake lifts seabed, kills 65, devastates coral reef

A magnitude‑7.8 earthquake struck the southern island of Mindanao in the Philippines, with a depth of about 55 kilometres. The quake generated more than 5,800 aftershocks and triggered a coastal uplift of up to two metres, pushing the shoreline back roughly 200 metres.

The uplift exposed a long coral reef plain in the Pangyan marine sanctuary, threatening the reef ecosystem and the fish, eels and molluscs that depend on it. Authorities reported that the disaster killed 65 people, left 36 missing and affected more than 735,000 residents. Over 57,000 houses and numerous roads and bridges were damaged across the region.