MANILA - More than 30 people died Monday after an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.8 hit the southern Philippines and triggered tsunami warnings across several coastal areas, local authorities said.
Images of the aftermath of the 7:37 a.m. quake off Mindanao Island's Sarangani province showed several damaged or collapsed buildings in General Santos City, which is located near the epicenter of the temblor.
A series of tsunami waves was observed, with the highest measuring about 1.5 meters, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said.
Tsunami waves were also observed in Indonesia and Japan.
Following the offshore quake with a depth of around 55 kilometers, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered residents to heed local advisories and move to higher ground.
Operations at the General Santos International Airport were suspended, while commercial flights to the city, known for its tuna export industry, were canceled.
In Davao Occidental, a province adjacent to Sarangani, scenes at a public school captured on video showed students crying as the ground shook for several seconds.
