Death toll from Philippines earthquake rises to 32, officials say VIDEO/UPDATED

An offshore magnitude 7.8 earthquake rocked the southern Philippines on June 8, killing at least 32 people, injuring more than 200 others mostly in ruined buildings and sending a one-metre tsunami into nearby coasts.

The quake also triggered a landslide in Glan, Sarangani province, that killed 13 villagers, Rene Punzalan, a provincial disaster-mitigation official, told the DZBB radio network. Four other villagers died in Sarangani, he said, CTV News reports. 

15:02

The death toll from the earthquake in the Philippines has risen to 19 people, according to the country’s Civil Defence spokesperson.

Officials cautioned that the casualty figures are still subject to verification and must be officially confirmed by the national disaster response agency, Caliber.Az reports, citing the BBC.

The spokesperson also said seven people remain missing. The number of injured currently stands at 134.

11:05

The death toll from a 7.8-magnitude earthquake in the Philippines has risen to 15, while more than 200 people have been injured, mostly due to building damage.

The earthquake struck offshore near the southern Philippines, after which tsunami waves of up to one meter were also recorded along nearby coastal areas.

09:47

A powerful 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck the southern Philippines early on June 8, killing at least eight people, collapsing buildings, and triggering tsunami warnings across the region.

Bangkok Post reports authorities in both the Philippines and Indonesia urged residents in coastal areas to evacuate to higher ground after the offshore quake hit about 24 kilometres west of Sarangani province in Mindanao.

Police officials initially reported one death and several injuries, but the toll was later raised to at least eight fatalities as rescue operations continued.

Several buildings were reported to have collapsed, including commercial and residential structures in parts of General Santos City. Local officials said damage assessments were still ongoing as emergency teams focused on search and rescue efforts.

Video footage verified by AFP showed extensive destruction, including a shopping centre housing a fast-food outlet reduced to rubble, as well as a school building that authorities said was unoccupied at the time of the quake.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre warned that tsunami waves could reach coastal areas of the Philippines, Indonesia, Palau, Taiwan, and Papua New Guinea within hours of the quake.

A magnitude 6.1 aftershock struck the region approximately two hours later, according to the United States Geological Survey.

Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered the suspension of classes in affected areas and urged residents in coastal communities to evacuate immediately.

“Move to higher ground now. Do not wait,” he said. “Your life is more important than anything left behind.”

Indonesia’s disaster authorities also instructed evacuations in parts of North Sulawesi, northern Gorontalo, and the Sangihe Islands, while Japan issued a tsunami advisory for sections of its Pacific coastline.

Earthquakes are frequent in the Philippines, which lies along the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” a major seismic zone.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov