A powerful 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of southern Philippines early Monday, causing structural damage in a major coastal city, disrupting power supply, and generating tsunami waves of up to one metre along nearby shorelines, according to officials.
In response to the seismic event, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. urged residents in tsunami-prone coastal areas to immediately move to higher ground as a precaution. Authorities in Indonesia and Malaysia also issued tsunami advisories for vulnerable coastal communities.
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No fatalities or injuries were immediately reported, although officials were assessing damage after at least one small building collapsed in General Santos City, a key commercial and tuna-processing hub with a population exceeding 700,000.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) said the earthquake was the strongest to hit the country this year. The epicentre was located approximately 13 kilometres southwest of General Santos in the sea and originated from movement along the Cotabato Trench at a depth of 10 kilometres.
PHIVOLCS Director Teresito Bacolcol stated that the earthquake struck at 7:37 a.m. local time. Authorities continue to monitor the situation while emergency response teams assess the extent of damage and the potential impact of tsunami activity along affected coastlines.
(This story is published from a syndicated feed)
