7.8 Earthquake Hits Southern Philippines, Tsunami Warnings Issued After Death Toll Rises

A 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck the southern Philippines on Monday morning, injuring residents across multiple cities and triggering landslides and small tsunami waves, according to news reports citing provincial and national officials. The quake hit at 7:37 a.m., and the initial impact was followed by reports of building damage, people running into streets, and emergency warnings for coastal areas.

In the hard-hit province of Sarangani, disaster-mitigation officials said most of the deaths were linked to a landslide. PBS reported that the fatalities included 13 villagers killed when a landslide struck houses in the mountainous town of Glan, with additional deaths reported in the province for reasons that had not been fully explained as of the latest updates.

In separate reporting, CBS News said the death toll rose to at least 35. Officials quoted by CBS attributed at least part of the casualty count to damage and landslides set off by the quake, while others died from causes that were still under investigation. The same reports described intense ground shaking that sent residents out of homes and into streets in nearby urban areas.

Officials warned that the earthquake could be followed by aftershocks and urged residents to seek advice before returning to damaged buildings. CBS News cited Teresito Bacolcol, director of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, as describing the event as a major earthquake and warning that structures could collapse due to subsequent shaking.

Tsunami alerts were issued after the quake, and small waves were detected beyond the Philippines. CBS News reported that small tsunami activity occurred in the southern Philippines and that waves were detected in Indonesia and Palau, with smaller waves recorded as far away as southern Japan, prompting authorities to monitor coastal conditions.

Authorities later moved to adjust the alerts as monitoring continued. Deutsche Welle reported that the Philippines lifted its tsunami warning after the event, indicating that official agencies would continue evaluation based on updated measurements and local conditions.

The disaster response effort shifted toward search-and-rescue, damage assessment, and hazard checks. Officials referenced widespread need for caution around unstable structures, while provincial authorities continued updating death and damage figures as information moved from immediate impact zones to broader reporting networks.