A powerful earthquake hit off the southern Philippines near Mindanao at 7:37 a.m. local time on June 8, 2026, registering magnitude 7.8 according to the US Geological Survey (USGS) [1, 2]. The quake occurred 26 kilometers southwest of Kablalan at a depth of about 55 kilometers [1, 2]. Other agencies, including the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) and Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), reported a higher magnitude of 8.2 and a shallower depth of around 10 kilometers [3, 4, 5].
Tsunami warnings or advisories were issued for coastal areas of the Philippines and parts of Southeast Asia including Indonesia and Malaysia, as well as Japan’s Pacific coast from Ibaraki to Okinawa [1, 2, 6, 3, 5]. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology urged boat owners in affected provinces to secure their vessels and stay offshore in deep water until further notice [6]. The Japan Meteorological Agency warned, “People working along the coast or in the sea should stop immediately and move away from coastal areas and river mouths” [3].
In the Philippines, tsunami waves as high as 3 meters were expected in some coastal areas, while parts of Japan and Southeast Asia could see waves up to 1 meter [1, 6, 3, 5]. A minor tsunami measuring about 20 centimeters was observed at Chichijima Island in Japan’s Ogasawara Islands, with small waves also reported in Okinawa around midday [1, 2].
The earthquake caused severe damage in Mindanao, including collapsed buildings and school closures, according to Philippine sources [5]. At least 32 people have died and more than 130 were injured in the Philippines, as disaster response efforts were immediately launched [1, 2]. An aftershock measuring magnitude 6.1 struck about two hours after the main quake in the same region [5].
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered government agencies to act immediately on disaster response and relief operations [5]. Meanwhile, Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told ministries and agencies to take measures to prevent quake damage [1]. The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines suspended operations at General Santos City Airport following the quake and tsunami warnings [5].
