A building in General Santos City where a fastfood restaurant used to stand collapsed after a destructive magnitude-7.8 earthquake struck near Maasim, Sarangani on June 8, 2026. (Courtesy: DSWD Field Office 12)
A 7.8-magnitude earthquake hit southern Mindanao on Monday killed at least 31 people after toppling buildings and sparking tsunami warnings across the region.
National disaster authorities said at least a dozen people were still missing, while 134 had sustained injuries.
Authorities have declared a state of calamity in General Santos City following the tremor that struck offshore near Sarangani on June 8, 2026.
A series of powerful aftershocks rocked the area from about two hours after the first quake, according to the United States Geological Survey, with the largest measuring 6.5 magnitude.
In General Santos, rescue workers dug through the rubble of a popular grocery store chain in a desperate bid to reach the bodies of two employees buried beneath.
Rene Punzalan, disaster chief for hard-hit Sarangani province, said 14 people had died in Glan municipality alone when a landslide buried their homes at the foot of a mountain.
“The landslide happened immediately after the earthquake, so many lives were lost,” he said, adding that some areas had yet to report if they had sustained casualties.
“The greatest challenge is communication. The power was cut, so it’s hard to get updates,” Punzalan said.
“We’re worried about aftershocks,” he added. “We can feel the fear of the residents.”
Videos posted to social media showed a shopping center with a Jollibee fast food restaurant reduced to rubble in General Santos City, while a school building that officials said was unoccupied crumpled in another.
“Lord, it has really collapsed! … The building has really collapsed!” someone can be heard shouting as the abandoned school structure topples.
In another video, young school children could be seen screaming in the arms of their teachers as the quake violently swayed them back and forth on the ground.
An accompanying caption said no one was under the structure when it fell.
A notice from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said tsunami waves were possible along the coasts of the Philippines, Indonesia, Palau, Taiwan and Papua New Guinea.
But by mid-afternoon, the Philippines and other countries had cancelled their warnings.
President Ferdinand Marcos, who suspended classes across Mindanao on what was to have been the first day of school, had called on residents in coastal areas to evacuate immediately.
“Move to higher ground now. Do not wait,” he said. “Your life is more important than anything left behind.”
Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla said the military immediately activated its humanitarian assistance and disaster response (HADR) protocols following the earthquake.
“The AFP works under the whole-of-government approach to disaster response. We maintain close coordination with the Office of Civil Defense and local authorities to ensure that our capabilities are employed where they are most needed and can provide the greatest benefit to affected communities,” she said. The Naval Forces Eastern Mindanao also activated its “Battle Staff Bravo” and put its disaster response and rescue team on heightened alert for possible emergency response and humanitarian assistance operations. The Department of Energy said initial reports show power interruptions are affecting an estimated 864,000 households in Mindanao. Power outages were experienced within the franchise areas of the South Cotabato II Electric Cooperative, South Cotabato I Electric Cooperative, Sultan Kudarat Electric Cooperative, Northern Davao Electric Cooperative, Davao Light and Power Company, Cotabato Light and Power Company, and neighboring localities. The DOE, in coordination with the National Electrification Administration and the National Power Corp., mobilized rapid response teams to assess energy infrastructure and advance power restoration efforts.
“Our teams are on the ground working closely with electric cooperatives, critical sectors, and other energy sector stakeholders to assess conditions and restore electricity services safely, responsibly, and at the soonest possible time,” Energy Secretary Sharon Garin said.
The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines said landing and takeoff operations at General Santos Airport are currently limited to government, military, and humanitarian flights.
A Notice to Airmen is in effect from 3 p.m. on June 8 until 6 p.m. on June 11.
CAAP advised passengers to coordinate with their respective airlines regarding the status of their flights.
Earthquakes are a near-daily occurrence in the Philippines, which is situated on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” an arc of intense seismic activity stretching from Japan through Southeast Asia and across the Pacific basin.
Eastern Mindanao was rocked by a pair of earthquakes of 7.4 and 6.7 magnitude in October that killed at least eight people.
These followed a magnitude 6.9 quake days earlier that killed 76 people and destroyed or damaged 72,000 buildings in Cebu. —With Agence France Presse