00:00A massive 7.8-magnitude earthquake has struck off the southern coast of the Philippines.
00:05The powerful tremor hit early Monday morning, violently shaking the island of Mindanao.
00:10It is the strongest earthquake to strike the country in over three decades.
00:14Local authorities report widespread devastation. At least 19 people are confirmed dead,
00:20mostly from falling concrete and structural collapses, while more than 130 others are injured.
00:25In General Santos City, a commercial building and parts of a hospital collapsed, forcing immediate evacuations.
00:32Search and rescue teams are actively combing through the rubble for survivors.
00:36The undersea quake triggered urgent tsunami warnings across the Pacific,
00:40including Japan and neighboring Indonesia, where minor injuries and damages were also felt.
00:45The immediate tsunami threat has since receded, but local coastlines remain on high alert.
00:50President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has suspended all schools, disrupting over 3 million students on their first day of classes.
00:57With power grids down and over 130 powerful aftershocks already recorded, officials warn residents to stay vigilant.
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