00:20A devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake has struck the southern Philippines, leaving at least 32 people dead
00:29and officials warned the death toll could still rise as rescue teams race against time.
00:35A powerful undersea earthquake hit off the coast of Mindanao at around 7.37 a.m. local time, triggering panic
00:44across multiple provinces
00:45and setting off tsunami alerts across the Philippines, Indonesia, Japan and Australia.
00:52Within seconds, entire buildings shook violently, sending residents fleeing into the streets as aftershocks continued to rattle the region.
01:01Early visuals from the ground show widespread destruction, including collapsed structures, landslides and heavily damaged infrastructure.
01:11One of the most widely shared videos shows a fast food restaurant completely reduced to rubble, highlighting the sheer force
01:19of the quake.
01:20Authorities confirmed that more than 100 people have been injured, while nearly two dozen remain missing.
01:27Around 10,000 residents have been evacuated as emergency teams continue search and rescue operations across affected areas.
01:35The worst hit region appears to be Sarangani Province, where landslides claimed multiple lives, and General Santos City, where additional
01:45fatalities were reported.
01:47Several areas also experienced temporary power and communication blackouts.
01:52Officials say casualty numbers are still being verified and could increase as more remote areas are reached by rescue teams.
02:00The Philippine president has ordered full-scale disaster response operations, assuring that the national government is mobilizing all available resources.
02:10More than 130 aftershocks have already been recorded, some strong enough to cause further damage and fear among already displaced
02:19residents.
02:20Tsunami alerts were briefly issued across the region following the quake, with small wave activity recorded in parts of the
02:28Philippines, Indonesia and Japan before warnings were later downgraded.
02:33The Philippines sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, making it highly prone to earthquakes, but officials say this is
02:40one of the most destructive quakes in recent years.
02:43For now, rescue operations continue, and authorities warn that the situation remains highly fluid, with the death toll expected to
02:52rise as assessments continue across Mindanao.
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