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A powerful 7.4 magnitude quake struck off the southern coast of the Philippines on Friday, resulting in a minimum of six fatalities and prompting tsunami alerts that were eventually canceled. The earthquake occurred approximately 12 miles (20 km) offshore near Manay town in Mindanao at 9:43 a.m., according to the US Geological Survey. Just over a week prior, a magnitude-6.9 quake in Cebu province caused 75 deaths and injured over 1,200.
Rescue teams are working tirelessly to access isolated mountainous regions affected by the tremor. In the mountains west of Manay, three miners trapped in tunnels when the shafts collapsed have been confirmed dead; one miner was rescued alive, and several others sustained injuries. Rescue efforts are concentrated in Gumayan, a remote area only reachable by dirt bikes. In Mati city, the nearest major urban center to the epicenter, one person died due to a collapsing wall, and another died from a heart attack. Davao city, over 60 miles (100 km) away, also reported a fatality, though details remain unclear.
In the immediate aftermath, Philippine authorities issued a tsunami warning, evacuating residents along the eastern coast where waves up to three meters (roughly ten feet) were feared. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center canceled the alert around midday, confirming that the threat had subsided.
Eyewitnesses described scenes of chaos, with people fleeing in panic from government buildings, schools, and malls—all caught on social media videos. Some footage shared online was misleading, showing images of buildings damaged before the quake occurred. Overall, the tremors caused limited damage, with more than 100 aftershocks recorded—some as strong as magnitude 5.0. Power and communication disruptions have hampered damage assessments, prompting the suspension of classes and the dismissal of non-essential government staff.
Schoolteacher Christine Sierte recounted that she was in an online meeting when the shaking intensified, making it impossible to exit the building right away. She noted some office ceilings fell but no injuries were reported, though some students experienced panic attacks and breathing difficulties. Earthquakes are a common occurrence in the Philippines, situated on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” an area known for intense seismic activity stretching from Japan through Southeast Asia across the Pacific. In 1976, an 8.0 magnitude quake off Mindanao triggered a tsunami that caused approximately 8,000 deaths or missing persons—the worst natural disaster in the country’s history.
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