7.8‑magnitude quake rattles southern Philippines, death toll rises to 37
Hundreds of aftershocks have jolted Mindanao after a deep‑seated quake left dozens dead and hundreds injured. The scale of devastation is now unfolding as responders reach coastal cities. Officials warn that the current toll of 37 dead could climb.
Buildings have collapsed, roads cracked and landslides buried highways. Large swaths still lack telephone and electricity, hampering rescue efforts.
The tremor triggered tsunami alerts across Indonesia, the southern tip of Mindanao and even the Japanese Pacific coast, creating a ripple of concern beyond the archipelago.
"We hope the death toll does not grow further,” said Bernardo Alejandro, assistant secretary of the agency in charge of disaster response. “Our priority today is search and rescue.”
He added that close to 2,000 homes and 6,000 schools have been damaged so far.
The Philippines sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, making it prone to earthquakes and volcanoes. The Cotabato Trench, the quake source, produced a 7.9‑magnitude shove in 1976 that killed about 5,000.
One schoolchild recounts how the ground shook outside a Jollibee restaurant in General Santos, a picture that now spreads across social media.
Science minister Renato Solidum explained that many students survived because they were holding a Monday morning assembly, staying outside rather than inside a collapsed building.
The quake rattled previously undisturbed areas, producing some of the strongest tremors in recent decades.
The president mobilised the entire government, sending transportation and health secretaries to Mindanao from Manila. They oversee medical aid for those still being treated amid strong aftershocks.
Access to towns such as Jose Abad Santos remains difficult. Mayor Jason Joyce said landslides buried the main highway, cutting half the route to the town.
“Relief goods must be flown in,” he told DZMM. “The only road accessible is a narrow strip, so evacuation crews are working around the clock.”
With the family of a construction worker grieving the loss of his wife and son, the crisis underlines the urgency of timely and coordinated rescue operations across Mindanao.
For more on the post‑quake response, see the linked story: At least 35 dead after major earthquake strikes southern Philippines.
