Magnitude 7.8 earthquake strikes Philippines, 4 deaths reported

A 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck offshore in the southern Philippines early Monday morning, damaging buildings and infrastructure and triggering a tsunami that washed ashore across the region.

The quake was centered about 13 kilometres southwest of General Santos, a city of over 700,000 people and a major hub for tuna processing in the Mindanao region. At least four people died and more than 200 were injured, officials said. In General Santos alone, three people were killed and 130 injured, with several buildings sustaining partial collapses and a key access bridge showing dangerous cracks.

Tsunami waves of 1 metre were monitored in the Philippine provinces of Sultan Kudarat and Sarangani. Smaller waves were recorded in Indonesia and Malaysia. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said the threat had largely passed about five hours after the quake, though it urged people to stay alert as sea levels could fluctuate for hours longer.

The international airport in General Santos was temporarily shut, and 17 domestic flights were cancelled. The quake was felt in nearby Malaysia and triggered warnings across the region as authorities moved to higher ground in vulnerable coastal areas.

Numerous aftershocks followed the 7:37 a.m. quake, the strongest to strike the Philippines this year. The full scale of damage from the tsunami itself was still being assessed.