At least three people were killed and four others injured after a powerful 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck the southern Philippines on Monday, according to Reuters.
The quake hit near General Santos City in the Mindanao region at a depth of 10 kilometres, Bloomberg reported, citing the GFZ Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences.
The strong tremor triggered tsunami warnings across parts of Southeast Asia and the Pacific region.
Tsunami Alerts Issued Across Region
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued warnings for coastal areas in the Philippines, Indonesia, Palau, Taiwan and Papua New Guinea for the next three hours.
Authorities warned that tsunami waves of up to three metres could hit parts of the coastline.
The governments of the Philippines and Indonesia urged residents in vulnerable coastal areas to immediately move to higher ground.
Indonesia’s weather agency issued alerts for parts of Kalimantan and Sulawesi, warning residents about possible large waves.
Buildings Damaged, Panic Spreads
Videos circulating on social media showed buildings collapsing and people running for safety during the quake.
One widely shared clip appeared to show a shelter collapsing inside a school compound shortly after students had assembled there.
Another video showed residents fleeing as part of a building collapsed in an affected area.
In General Santos City, local media reported that part of a building collapsed, while hospitals evacuated patients onto roads as a precautionary measure.
Students were also evacuated from schools on what was reportedly the first day of classes.
Death Toll Being Verified
Agripino Dacera, disaster management chief in General Santos, said authorities were still verifying the reported fatalities while conducting damage assessments.
Officials also confirmed that aftershocks continued to hit the region after the main quake.
Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. suspended classes in affected parts of Mindanao and appealed to coastal residents to evacuate immediately.
“Move to higher ground now. Do not wait,” Marcos said, according to AFP.
The quake is being described as one of the strongest seismic events to hit the region in recent years.
The Philippines lies along the Pacific Ring of Fire, an area known for frequent earthquakes and volcanic activity.
Authorities across the region continued monitoring sea levels and assessing damage as emergency response operations remained underway.
