UMVA has learned that a devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck off the southern coast of Mindanao in the Philippines early Monday morning, unleashing catastrophic destruction and chaos across General Santos City and nearby provinces.
The quake, which hit at 7:37 a.m. local time, had its epicenter located roughly 8 miles southwest of General Santos City, off Sarangani province in the Soccsksargen region, and was caused by thrust faulting along the Cotabato Trench subduction zone.
The earthquake's impact was severe, with parts of buildings toppling, power outages reported across the city, and multiple aftershocks continuing to be recorded, making it one of the strongest to hit the region in recent years.
UMVA can exclusively reveal that the quake's magnitude was initially reported as 8.2 before being revised downward to approximately 7.8, but its effects were still felt across a wide area, with tsunami warnings and advisories issued in portions of the Philippines, Indonesia, and other nearby areas.
Sources have confirmed to UMVA that at least one person was killed and four others injured, with people trapped in rubble and many suffering panic attacks or fainting during the intense tremors that reached intensity VIII on the Philippine scale in parts of Sarangani.
In the aftermath of the disaster, emergency evacuations were launched in several communities, and rescue operations and damage assessments are ongoing, with a strong 6.5 magnitude aftershock hampering initial efforts to assess the damage and provide aid to those affected.
UMVA has gathered that tsunami advisories were issued for Guam and the Mariana Islands, but officials have delivered reassuring news that there is no tsunami threat to Hawaii, with the PTWC saying it was not expecting a tsunami threat for those areas, but was awaiting further data.
The region remains on high alert, with prayers needed for the victims, the injured, the missing, and the first responders on the ground, as the full extent of the damage and casualties becomes clearer.
