The earthquake struck this morning (Monday, June 8, 2026) at 07:37 local time and is the strongest to hit the country since 1990. The earthquake had a magnitude of 7.8 on the Richter scale. The epicenter was in the sea, about 32 kilometers from Maasim in Sarangani province, in the very south of the large island of Mindanao. The quake also caused landslide in Glan, Saragani that jilled at least 10 people.
Official reports have already confirmed at least 35 deaths, over 200 injuries and at least 12 people missing. The most casualties were in Sarangani province and the city of General Santos, where the tremors were strongest, assessed as “very destructive”. General Santos suffered massive damage. Several major buildings collapsed, including a three-story building housing a popular restaurant and radio station, part of the University, and a large shopping mall. Patients and staff at St. Elizabeth Hospital had to be evacuated because the building was severely cracked. Roads were cracked, and even some important bridges in collapsed completely, currently hampering access for rescue services.
More about this unfortunate event can be found in many news articles around the world. Here are some examples:
https://apnews.com/article/philippines-earthquake-mindanao-6e489739402863eaf40cbfd30a1b1cc7
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/clyel78e6p5o
