Death toll rises after twin earthquakes strike southern Philippines

The death toll continues to rise in the southern Philippines after two powerful offshore earthquakes struck just hours apart on October 10, causing widespread destruction, triggering landslides, and prompting tsunami warnings across coastal areas.

At least seven people have been confirmed dead, while hundreds more were injured following the magnitude 7.4 quake, which struck at around 10:13 p.m. local time off the coast of Manay town in Davao Oriental province. Just hours later, a second quake — a magnitude 6.8 tremor — rocked the same area, further intensifying damage and raising concerns over already weakened structures, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media. 

Officials say the first quake caused most of the fatalities. Two patients died of heart attacks at a hospital during the shaking, and another resident was killed by falling debris in Mati City, also in Davao Oriental. In the nearby Pantukan town in Davao de Oro province, a landslide triggered by the quake buried several people in a remote gold-mining village. Three villagers were killed and others injured before rescue teams could reach them.

In Davao City, one person was confirmed dead, and disaster officials reported that several hundred people sustained injuries, ranging from minor wounds to serious trauma. Rescue and relief efforts are ongoing as authorities continue to assess the damage.

According to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS), both quakes were caused by movements along the Philippine Trench. The first occurred at a depth of 23 kilometers, followed by the second at 37 kilometers. PHIVOLCS chief Teresito Bacolcol explained that the second temblor was considered a “doublet earthquake” — a separate but related event along the same fault system.

Although tsunami warnings were lifted hours after the quakes, authorities had earlier evacuated coastal communities as a precaution. In neighboring Indonesia, small tsunami waves between 3.5 to 17 centimeters were recorded in several areas of North Sulawesi, according to the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency.

By Sabina Mammadli