A catastrophic 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Mindanao in the southern Philippines on Monday morning, June 8, 2026, leaving a trail of destruction, triggering regional tsunami warnings, and resulting in dozens of casualties.
The powerful offshore tremor struck at 7:37 a.m. local time, centered about 32 kilometers west of Maasim in Sarangani province. Because the quake hit on the highly anticipated first day of the new school year, it sparked widespread panic as millions of students were arriving at classrooms or attending outdoor morning flag ceremonies.
Dramatic Footage Floods Social Media
As the ground shook violently across the Mindanao region, residents took to X to share terrifying, verified footage of the disaster unfolding in real-time.
In General Santos City, located near the epicenter, multiple low-rise structures succumbed to the intense seismic waves. Onlookers captured the shocking moment the upper floors of a popular three-story Jollibee fast-food restaurant completely pancaked into a cloud of dust and rubble.
Additional footage from commercial centers across the region showed outer concrete walls buckling and falling onto streets, crushing parked vehicles and shattering storefronts.
Panic was also captured at local schools. In the Davao region, videos showed hundreds of uniform-clad students fleeing in terror from swaying school structures into open sports fields as portions of school buildings suffered severe structural damage.
Casualties and Aftershocks Continues to Rise
Disaster management officials have confirmed that at least 37 people have lost their lives, with over 470 others injured. Many of the fatalities were caused by a massive landslide triggered by the quake in Glan, Sarangani, while others were struck by falling debris in urban areas.
Though initial tsunami warnings prompted urgent evacuations to higher ground along nine coastal provinces, the alerts were successfully lifted after a six-hour period. However, the crisis is far from over. Seismologists have already recorded over 1,100 aftershocks, forcing hospitals to treat patients in makeshift outdoor tents out of fear that damaged medical facilities could collapse.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered the indefinite suspension of classes in all affected zones while search and rescue teams continue to scour the rubble of compromised buildings.