At least three people were killed and four people were injured on Monday after a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck the southern city of General Santos in the Philippines, news agency Reuters reported.
A tsunami warning has also been issued for the next three hours along parts of the coasts of Indonesia, the Philippines, Palau, Taiwan and Papua New Guinea, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said in a separate alert.
The quake had a depth of 10 kilometres, Bloomberg reported, citing the GFZ Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences.
Also read | Deaths feared after 7.8 magnitude earthquake rocks Philippines, tsunami warning issued
Several users on social media platform X shared videos purportedly showing buildings collapsing during the earthquake.
One viral clip shows a shelter falling at a school ground where children had assembled. The video later shows a teacher helping students practise earthquake safety measures before the shelter collapsed.
In a separate video shared on social media, residents are seen running for safety as a building collapses.
Another clip circulating on X appears to show pool sloshing around, highlighting the intensity of the earthquake.
Social media reactions
“One of the strongest seismic events in recent years has reportedly struck Mindanao, Philippines. While the magnitude makes headlines, the real story is the people in its path. Prayers for everyone affected,” a user said.
“Nature can be so scary sometimes,” a second user wrote.
Agripino Dacera, the disaster management chief in General Santos, said the reported fatalities were still being verified as authorities assessed the extent of the damage on the ground.
What authorities in Philippines and Indonesia said?
Authorities in the Philippines and Indonesia urged residents to move to higher ground after a tsunami of up to three feet struck parts of the Philippine coastline.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. suspended school classes in affected areas of Mindanao and called on residents in coastal areas to evacuate immediately, AFP reported.
“Move to higher ground now. Do not wait,” he said. “Your life is more important than anything left behind.”
Indonesia issues tsunami warning
Indonesia issued tsunami warnings for several areas, including parts of Kalimantan on the island of Borneo and sections of Sulawesi, warning of waves of up to three metres, according to a post by the national weather agency.
In the southern city of General Santos, a section of a building collapsed, Bloomberg reported citing radio station dzRH. Students were evacuated on the first day of school, while a hospital moved patients outside and onto the street as a precautionary measure.
(With inputs from Bloomberg and Reuters)