At least 35 people are dead after a massive 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Mindanao in the southern Philippines, officials said.
The powerful quake hit at 7:37 a.m. local time on Monday, shaking communities across the region and triggering tsunami alerts in the Philippines, Indonesia, Japan and Australia. Those warnings were later canceled or downgraded after several tense hours.
Videos and photos from the disaster zone showed terrifying scenes, including collapsed buildings, landslides and a Jollibee fast food restaurant reduced to rubble.
By Monday afternoon, the Philippines’ Office of Civil Defense said 31 deaths had been reported in Soccsksargen, while four others were recorded in Davao.
Officials also said at least 134 people were injured and roughly 10,000 families had been displaced.
Authorities had earlier reported 32 deaths and 12 people missing, but officials warned that casualty figures may still change as national disaster agencies verify reports from local communities.
Mindanao is the second-largest island in the Philippines by both land area and population. Around 26 million people live there.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said government agencies were working together on the emergency response.
“The national government is moving and we will not leave Mindanao behind,” Marcos said.
He also ordered classes suspended in affected areas after the quake struck on what was supposed to be the first day of the school year in the Philippines.
One video posted by a primary school in Davao Occidental showed dozens of terrified students crouching on the shaking ground as the quake hit. A shelter with a corrugated roof could be seen collapsing behind them.
The school said no one was injured in that incident.
More than 130 aftershocks were recorded after the initial quake, ranging from magnitude 1.3 to 6.7. Later Monday night, a 5.7-magnitude earthquake also struck in the water off Balut Island in Sarangani at about 10:52 p.m. local time.
The quake also sparked tsunami fears across the region.
Authorities in Japan initially warned that waves up to one meter tall could reach its shores. A small tsunami wave measuring just a few centimeters was later observed in Okinawa, while a 20-centimeter wave was recorded in the distant Ogasawara Islands.
Waves were also detected along the coasts of Indonesia, Palau and the Philippines, with heights ranging from a few centimeters to 1.4 meters, or about 4.6 feet.
The Philippines sits along the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” one of the most earthquake-prone regions in the world. While many quakes in the country are minor, some have turned deadly.
Last September, a 6.9-magnitude earthquake struck the central Visayas region, killing more than 70 people.
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