The magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck on June 8 near the Cotabato Trench off Mindanao, triggering landslides, damaging infrastructure and causing widespread displacement. Scientists say the quake also generated significant coastal uplift, a geological process in which tectonic forces force sections of land upward.

Initial assessments by Philippine seismologists indicate that parts of the seabed rose by as much as two meters, extending the shoreline by up to 200 meters in some areas and transforming previously submerged coral reefs into exposed stretches of land.

“What they see now is their new coastline,” said Nane Danlag of the Philippine seismology agency, adding that the changes are permanent.

The affected zone stretches across nearly 100 kilometers of coastline between communities in southern Mindanao, according to preliminary surveys.

Residents described witnessing the transformation as it unfolded. Arsenio Butil Jr., a fisherman and pastor from Sarangani province’s Glan municipality, said the sea repeatedly receded and returned during the earthquake.

“What I saw at the shoreline was that the water receded. After a while, I saw it slowly returning. And then it receded again. Maybe three or four times,” he said.

The newly elevated coastline has left fishing boats stranded far from the water and exposed large expanses of coral that had previously been underwater.

The geological shift has also heightened anxiety among residents already traumatized by the disaster. In a hillside evacuation site near the coast, around 100 displaced villagers continued to shelter in temporary conditions more than a week after the earthquake.

Many fear that further seismic activity could trigger a tsunami despite reassurances from experts.

“What if the sea surges forward? That is what everyone fears,” said Datu Atom Malimpnig, a local community leader whose village was heavily affected.

The changes are also threatening tourism-dependent businesses. Resort operators along the coast say the exposed coral and shallower waters have altered beachfront landscapes that once attracted visitors.

Edzel Baylon, an employee at the Isla Jardin del Mar resort, said the area’s white-sand beaches are now separated from the sea by broad stretches of uplifted coral.

“It has a huge effect on the resort, because the main draw for customers is the sea,” Baylon said.

Seismologists noted that the Cotabato Trench is among the Philippines’ most active seismic zones. Thousands of smaller tremors were recorded in the area earlier this year, and authorities have logged more than 8,500 aftershocks since the June 8 earthquake.

Scientists say the coastal uplift is part of a natural tectonic process that has shaped the region over thousands of years, although the scale of the changes has been striking for residents witnessing the transformation firsthand.

With aftershocks continuing across the region, many families remain reluctant to rebuild homes damaged by the earthquake, citing concerns about cracked ground and the possibility of further strong tremors.

The quake triggered strong shaking that lasted more than a minute in Palu, a coastal city of around 400,000 people and the capital of Central Sulawesi province, sending residents and hospital staff into open areas as a precaution.

Hospitals evacuated patients, including some still attached to IV drips, while several buildings sustained visible damage including collapsed roofs, cracked walls and debris scattered across streets, according to accounts from the affected area.

Several aftershocks followed the main tremor, including one measured at magnitude 5.2, prompting continued caution among residents who moved away from buildings and coastal zones amid concerns about possible secondary effects.

Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysical Agency said there was no tsunami threat following the quake but warned that aftershocks could continue in the region.

The US Geological Survey reported that the earthquake was centered about 43 kilometers east-southeast of Palu at a depth of approximately 10 kilometers, indicating a shallow quake consistent with strong surface shaking.

Local residents described intense tremors and expressed fear due to past disasters, including the 2018 earthquake and tsunami that devastated Palu and surrounding areas, killing more than 4,000 people.

Authorities said assessments of damage and potential casualties were still underway as emergency response teams monitored affected areas and continued safety checks.

The request came three days after a magnitude 7.8 offshore earthquake struck near the southern province of Sarangani, killing at least 47 people, injuring 688 and leaving 31 others missing, according to disaster management officials.

More than 45,000 residents remained displaced, with roughly half staying in emergency shelters, after the quake damaged more than 12,600 homes across farming towns and urban centers in the affected region. Provincial authorities said many residents were reluctant to return home because of continuing aftershocks.

The hardest-hit province was Sarangani, where 20 fatalities were reported, most linked to a landslide that buried homes in the coastal municipality of Glan, according to the Office of Civil Defense.

Glan Mayor Victor James Yap said 10 of the town’s 31 villages remained inaccessible, largely due to landslides that blocked roads and cut off transport links. The municipality, home to more than 100,000 residents, continued to face severe logistical challenges in distributing aid.

“We need food and water but it’s difficult to transport them to some of our villages which remain isolated,” Yap told DZMM radio, urging the government to deploy air force helicopters to reach communities cut off from ground access.

Yap said a major road leading into the town had reopened, allowing fuel deliveries to resume as early as Thursday. However, electricity had yet to be restored and cellular communication services remained unreliable across parts of the municipality.

Most earthquake-related deaths were caused by collapsing structures, falling debris and landslides in Sarangani, General Santos City and the neighboring provinces of South Cotabato and Davao Occidental.
The disaster also triggered coastal hazards. Two swimmers drowned and another remained missing after being swept out to sea near General Santos shortly after the quake.

Authorities recorded waves reaching up to 1.4 meters above normal tide levels in parts of the southern Philippines, while smaller sea surges were detected in Indonesia, Palau and southern Japan.

The earthquake ranks among the strongest to strike the Philippines in the last five decades. It follows the magnitude 8.1 earthquake and tsunami of August 1976, one of the country’s deadliest natural disasters, which killed about 8,000 people.

The Philippines lies along the Pacific Ring of Fire, a seismically active zone where frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur due to the movement of major tectonic plates.

Rescue operations continued in General Santos City, one of the areas hardest hit by Monday’s earthquake, after a strong aftershock forced emergency personnel to evacuate a partially collapsed three-story grocery building where search teams were looking for a missing employee.

Approximately 30 firefighters and coast guard personnel scrambled to safety when fresh tremors shook the damaged structure, sending concrete debris crashing from the building. Rescue operations were temporarily halted while authorities reassessed safety conditions at the site.

The earthquake, among the strongest to strike the Philippines in decades, caused widespread destruction across southern Mindanao, the country’s second-most populous region. Officials said more than 25,000 people remained displaced, many housed in 45 government-run evacuation centers as persistent aftershocks heightened fears of additional building collapses.

Teresito Bacolcol, director of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, said the earthquake had generated more than 2,100 aftershocks, including several reaching magnitudes of up to 6.4. Such tremors remain capable of causing further structural damage and casualties, he said.

Authorities reported that more than 3,100 homes were damaged along with 29 roads, 11 bridges and over 100 government buildings. The international airport in General Santos sustained damage and remains closed to commercial operations, although government and military flights carrying relief supplies and disaster-response personnel continue to operate.

Education officials said roughly 6,000 public school buildings in affected provinces would require safety inspections before classes could resume. The earthquake struck on the first day of the new academic term following a two-month summer break, leaving many students among those injured.

Most fatalities were attributed to falling debris from collapsed structures and landslides in General Santos and the neighboring provinces of Sarangani, South Cotabato and Davao Occidental. Authorities also reported one death linked to unusually strong sea currents generated after the quake.

The Philippine Coast Guard said seven swimmers near General Santos were swept away shortly after the earthquake. Three were rescued, one returned to shore independently, one drowned and two remain missing.

Seismologists said the earthquake originated in the Cotabato Trench, an undersea fault system off southern Mindanao. The trench was also responsible for the devastating 8.1-magnitude earthquake and tsunami in 1976 that killed about 8,000 people.

Located along the Pacific Ring of Fire, the Philippines is among the world’s most disaster-prone countries and regularly experiences earthquakes and volcanic activity due to intense tectonic movement beneath the region.

The quake, the strongest to hit the Philippines this year, struck off the coast of Mindanao island at 7:37 a.m. local time, causing widespread panic and disruption across several southern provinces.

Authorities said the death toll rose after at least 17 fatalities were reported in Sarangani province, where a landslide buried homes in the mountainous town of Glan.Rene Punzalan, a disaster mitigation official in Sarangani, said 13 villagers were killed in the landslide, while four others died elsewhere in the province.

The new casualties brought the overall death toll from the earthquake to at least 32.The earthquake damaged buildings, disrupted transportation and displaced thousands of residents. Philippine disaster officials said most fatalities were caused by collapsing structures, landslides and falling debris across the provinces of Sarangani, South Cotabato, Davao Occidental and nearby Balut Island.

In General Santos City, a regional commercial hub with a population of more than 700,000, several buildings were severely damaged or collapsed, including a popular fast-food restaurant. Seven people were reported killed in the city, while police said at least 12 others remained missing.

Search and rescue operations were underway at damaged structures, including a warehouse and commercial buildings, according to emergency responders.President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered the suspension of classes in affected areas and directed national disaster agencies to mobilize emergency assistance.

Officials said more than 100 students suffered minor injuries or fainted during school flag-raising ceremonies as the quake struck shortly after public schools reopened following the summer break.The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said the earthquake occurred near Maasim town in Sarangani province at a depth of about 33 kilometers.

The U.S. Geological Survey estimated the depth at 55 kilometers, differences that are common during initial assessments.Authorities recorded multiple aftershocks, including tremors reaching magnitude 6.5, and warned residents to avoid returning to damaged buildings until structural inspections are completed.The quake generated tsunami warnings across parts of the Pacific.

Waves of up to 1.4 meters were recorded along sections of the Philippine coastline, while smaller waves were detected in Indonesia, Palau and Japan.The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center later said the broader tsunami threat had largely passed, prompting Philippine authorities to lift evacuation warnings by mid-afternoon.

The earthquake temporarily shut General Santos International Airport and led to the cancellation of 17 domestic flights, according to aviation authorities.Situated on the Pacific Ring of Fire, the Philippines is among the world’s most disaster-prone countries and frequently experiences major earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and tropical cyclones.

The United States Geological Survey said the offshore quake was followed by aftershocks reaching magnitudes of up to 5. Indonesia’s meteorology agency reported small tsunami waves of 0.3 meters in West Halmahera and 0.2 meters in Bitung.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center initially issued a regional tsunami alert but lifted it about two hours later, stating that the threat had passed based on available data.Local broadcaster Metro TV reported that one person died after being struck by falling rubble in Manado, in North Sulawesi province.

Indonesian officials confirmed the casualty, saying the victim was buried under debris from a collapsed building. One additional person suffered a leg injury.Residents described scenes of panic as the quake struck, with people fleeing their homes. A Manado resident said the shaking lasted for a prolonged period, causing items to fall from shelves and cutting power in some areas, though no major structural damage was visible in her neighborhood.

Authorities reported damage to several buildings in North Sulawesi, though the full extent remained unclear. Regional officials in areas including Ternate and Tidore urged residents to prepare for possible evacuations in the immediate aftermath.

Tsunami warning agencies had cautioned that hazardous waves were possible along coastlines within 1,000 km of the epicenter, including parts of Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia.

Subsequent assessments by authorities in both countries indicated no significant threat to their territories.Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 280 million people, lies along the seismically active Pacific Ring of Fire, where tectonic plate interactions frequently trigger earthquakes and volcanic activity.

In recent history, the country has experienced some of the world’s deadliest seismic disasters, including the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami that killed more than 230,000 people across multiple countries, and a 2018 quake and tsunami in Sulawesi that claimed over 4,300 lives.