M7.8 earthquake off southern Mindanao generates 1 m (3.3 feet) tsunami waves and damages buildings, Philippines
A major earthquake registered by the USGS as M7.8 struck Mindanao, Philippines, at 23:37 UTC on June 7, 2026 (07:37 LT on June 8). The agency is reporting a depth of 55.2 km (34.3 miles). EMSC is reporting M7.8 at a depth of 45 km (28 miles). Tsunami waves up to 1 m (3.3 feet) were observed in Sultan Kudarat and Sarangani.
Damage caused by M7.8 earthquake in Philippines on June 7, 2026. Credit: IFRC Asia Pacific
The epicenter was located 27 km (17 miles) SW of Kablalan (population 2 698), 31 km (19 miles) SW of Glan (population 24 256), 50 km (31 miles) SSW of Malapatan (population 19 439), 56 km (35 miles) SSW of Lun Pequeño (population 11 541), and 104 km (65 miles) SSE of Koronadal (population 195 398), Philippines.
1.2 million people are estimated to have felt severe shaking, 3.76 million very strong, 7 million strong, and 10 million moderate.
NWS PTWC reported that tsunami waves reaching 1 to 3 m (3.3 to 9.8 feet) above tide level are possible along some coasts of the Philippines. Tsunami waves reaching 0.3 to 1 m (1 to 3 feet) above tide level are possible for some coasts of Indonesia and Malaysia.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. asked people in areas vulnerable to tsunamis to immediately go to higher ground. Indonesian and Malaysian authorities also issued warnings to their nearby coastal areas, AP reported.
The USGS issued a Yellow alert for shaking-related fatalities and an Orange alert for economic losses. Some casualties are possible. Significant damage is likely and the disaster is potentially widespread. Estimated economic losses are less than 1% of GDP of the Philippines. Past events with this alert level have required a regional or national level response.
Overall, the population in this region resides in structures that are a mix of vulnerable and earthquake-resistant construction. The predominant vulnerable building types are reinforced concrete and heavy wood frame construction.
Recent earthquakes in this area have caused secondary hazards such as tsunamis and landslides that might have contributed to losses.
Liquefaction triggered by this earthquake is estimated to be extensive in severity and/or spatial extent. The number of people living near areas that could have produced liquefaction in this earthquake is extensive.
Landslides are expected to be significant in number and/or spatial extent. The number of people living near areas that could have produced landslides in this earthquake is significant.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) Director Teresito Bacolcol said land-based tsunami watch stations observed 1 m (3 feet) waves in Sultan Kudarat and Sarangani, with smaller waves observed in at least one other province.
President Marcos said a tsunami warning was in effect across several coastal provinces in Mindanao and directed government agencies to act immediately. The Office of Civil Defense and the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council began coordinating disaster response and monitoring, while the Department of Social Welfare and Development was directed to pre-position relief goods and prepare evacuation centers.
In Sarangani province, local disaster chief Rene Punzalan said power and telecommunications were down, school classes were suspended, and a damage assessment was underway.
Damage reports were concentrated in the General Santos-Sarangani area during the first hours after the quake. Reuters reported falling furniture, damaged televisions and appliances, aftershocks, and residents leaving homes in General Santos, while the city disaster office said authorities were assessing reports of damage and some injuries.
AP reported that at least one small commercial building in General Santos partly collapsed, with staff from a DZRH provincial branch reaching the ground floor without injuries. Debris also fell from other buildings and damaged tricycle taxis parked below, while it remained unclear whether other people were trapped in the rubble.
In Maasim, Sarangani, disaster chief Arlene Hollero said that evacuations were underway in coastal villages. No casualties had been reported there at the time of his interview with Reuters. Hollero said water had receded shortly after the quake, a bridge had suffered cracks, and a shrine with a large cross had collapsed. In Alabel town, police chief Benjie Ancheta said the police building had cracks after the quake struck during a flag-raising ceremony, where some people fainted.
Authorities are verifying reports of at least five deaths in General Santos, Reuters reported at 02:52 UTC on June 8, citing Agripino Dacera, the city’s disaster management chief.
The Philippine government ordered the suspension of classes at all levels across affected areas of Mindanao until further notice. The Department of Public Works and Highways was placed on standby to assess roads, bridges, and critical infrastructure and to clear routes needed for rescue and relief operations.
Strong aftershocks followed the mainshock, including M6.1 at 23:48 UTC, M6.0 at 23:49 UTC, and M6.5 at 00:55 UTC on June 8.
The USGS said the quake resulted from thrust faulting. Its depth and moment‑tensor estimate indicate the event occurred within the complex zone of active deformation associated with westward subduction of the Philippine plate beneath the Sunda plate.
Northeastern Indonesia and southern Philippines are characterized by complex tectonics in which motions of numerous small plates accommodate the large-scale convergence between the Philippine Sea and Sunda plates. At the location of this earthquake, the Philippine plate is moving towards the Sunda at 7.3 cm (2.8 inches) per year.
While commonly plotted as points on maps, earthquakes of this size are more appropriately described as slip distributed over a broad fault area. Thrust faulting events of the size of the June 7 earthquake are typically about 120 x 50 km in size (65 x 31 miles).
The region around this earthquake is tectonically active, and large earthquakes are common. Since 1900, 35 earthquakes with a magnitude of M 7+ have occurred within 300 km (180 miles) of this event. The largest was a magnitude 8.3 earthquake on August 15, 1918, that occurred 118 km (73 miles) to the west. More recently, a magnitude 7.4 event occurred on October 10, 2025, 260 km (161 miles) to the northeast, resulting in more than ten fatalities.
Estimated population exposure to earthquake shaking
Selected cities exposed
Regional seismicity
References:
1 M7.8 earthquake Mindanao, Philippines – USGS – June 7, 2026
2 M7.8 earthquake Mindanao, Philippines – EMSC – June 7, 2026
I'm a dedicated researcher, journalist, and editor at The Watchers. With over 20 years of experience in the media industry, I specialize in hard science news, focusing on extreme weather, seismic and volcanic activity, space weather, and astronomy, including near-Earth objects and planetary defense strategies. You can reach me at teo /at/ watchers.news.
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