Philippines: Powerful Mindanao Quake Kills 37, Displaces 20,000

Rescuers continued searching collapsed buildings in General Santos city and surrounding areas on Tuesday, a day after a powerful magnitude 7.8 earthquake hit the southern Philippines, killing 37 people and displacing approximately 20,000 residents.

The Office of Civil Defense reported that only four people remained officially missing in the southern Mindanao provinces. However, thorough searches were still needed in several heavily damaged structures for potential survivors or casualties. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. dispatched top defense and mitigation officials from Manila to oversee rescue efforts and coordinate the distribution of aid, including food and construction materials, while also assessing infrastructure damage.

Authorities confirmed the death toll had risen to 37, with nearly 500 people injured. Over 20,000 individuals were displaced, many seeking refuge in emergency shelters. The quake briefly triggered a tsunami warning, prompting evacuations from coastal areas, though only small waves were recorded.

In General Santos, the "tuna capital of the Philippines," at least 13 people died due to building collapses or falling debris. In the nearby town of Glan, a landslide buried several houses, killing 18 people. Other fatalities were reported in the provinces of South Cotabato and Davao Occidental, and on Balut Island. Initial government assessments indicate around 2,000 houses and 117 public buildings sustained damage. General Santos' international airport remained closed, canceling 63 domestic flights.

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We cannot force the immediate reopening of schools because we have to ensure the integrity of buildings.