Thirty five confirmed deaths following Magnitude 7.8 Earthquake off the southern coast of Mindanao Island, Philippines.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology recorded a Magnitude 7.8 Earthquake at a depth of 33 km off the south coast of Mindanao Island, Philippines, slightly after 7.35 am on Monday 8 June 2026 local time (slightly after 11.35 pm on Sunday 7 June GMT). 

The location of the 8 June 2026 Mindanao Earthquake. USGS.

Thirty five people have been confirmed dead following this event, with another 134 injured, and a large number of buildings damaged or destroyed, with about 10 000 families displaced as a result of this Earthquake. People reported feeling tremors as far away as Manilla and northern Borneo. Countries around the Pacific Rim issued tsunami warnings after the event, although the largest wave recorded was about 1.4 m. Mindanao has subsequently been hit by a number of large aftershocks. 

A collapsed building in the city of General Santos on Mindanao Island, the Philippines. Department of Social Welfare and Development/Wikimedia Commons.

The geology of the central Philippines is Complex. The west of Mindanao Island is located on the Banda (or Sunda) Microplate, and the east on the Philippine Plate, which is being subducted beneath the Sunda (or Banda) Microplate along the central part of the island. Immediately to the east of the Island the Pacific Plate is being subducted along the Philippine Trench, and passes beneath eastern Mindanao as it sinks into the Earth. This is not a smooth process, an the plates constantly stick together then break apart again as the pressure builds up, resulting in Earthquakes.

Subduction beneath the Philippines. Yves Descatoire/Singapore Earth Observatory.

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Magnitude 5.7 Earthquake off the coast of Surigao del Sur, Philippines.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology recorded a Magnitude 5.7 Earthquake at a depth of 14 km slightly off the coast of Hinatuan in Surigao del Sur Province on Mindanao Island, Philippines, slightly before 2.10 pm local time (slightly before 6.10 am GMT) on Friday 31 July 2020. There are no reports of any damage or casualties associated with this event, but it was widely felt across eastern Mindanao.

The location of the 31 July 2020 Surigao del Sur Earthquake. USGS.

The geology of the central Philippines is Complex. The west of Mindanao Island is located on the Banda (or Sunda) Microplate, and the east on the Philippine Plate, which is being subducted beneath the Sunda (or Banda) Microplate along the central part of the island. Immediately to the east of the Island the Pacific Plate is being subducted along the Philippine Trench, and passes beneath eastern Mindanao as it sinks into the Earth. This is not a smooth process, an the plates constantly stick together then break apart again as the pressure builds up, resulting in Earthquakes.

Subduction beneath the Philippines. Yves Descatoire/Singapore Earth Observatory.

Witness accounts of Earthquakes can help geologists to understand these events, and the structures that cause them. The international non-profit organisation Earthquake Report is interested in hearing from people who may have felt this event; if you felt this quake then you can report it to Earthquake Report here.

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Magnitude 6.5 Earthquake in Cotabato Province, Mindanao, the Philippines, kills at least seven.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology recorded a Magnitude 6.5 Earthquake at a depth of 8 km about 27 km to the east of the town of Tulunan in Cotabato Province on Mindanao Island, Philippines, slightly after 9.10 am local time (slightly after 1.10 am GMT) on Thursday 31 October 2019. The Earthquake is known to have killed at least seven people and injured at least 11 more, with the event being felt across the southern Philippines. This is the third major Earthquake in the region within a month, with Earthquakes on the 16th and 29th of October having claimed seven and ten lives respectively.

Hotel in Kidapawan City, Cotabato, which partially collapsed following a Magnitude 6.5 Earthquake on 31 October 2019. Genghis Manero/Rappler.

The geology of the central Philippines is Complex. The west of Mindanao Island is located on the Banda (or Sunda) Microplate, and the east on the Philippine Plate, which is being subducted beneath the Sunda (or Banda) Microplate along the central part of the island. Immediately to the east of the Island the Pacific Plate is being subducted along the Philippine Trench, and passes beneath eastern Mindanao as it sinks into the Earth. This is not a smooth process, an the plates constantly stick together then break apart again as the pressure builds up, resulting in Earthquakes.

 Subduction beneath the Philippines. Yves Descatoire/Singapore Earth Observatory.

Witness accounts of Earthquakes can help geologists to understand these events, and the structures that cause them. The international non-profit organisation Earthquake Report is interested in hearing from people who may have felt this event; if you felt this quake then you can report it to Earthquake Report here.

The location of the 31 October 2019 Cotabato Province Earthquake. Contour lines show rates of movement during the quake, the red line is a boundary between two tectonic plates, in this case the Pacific and Philippine plates. USGS.

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Magnitude 6.6 Earthquake beneath Mindanao Island kills at least seven.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology recorded a Magnitude 6.6 Earthquake at a depth of 7 km about 22 km to the east of the town of Tulunan in Cotabato Province on Mindanao Island, Philippines, slightly after 9.00 am local time (slightly after 1.00 am GMT) on Tuesday 29 October 2019. The Earthquake is known to have killed at least seven people and injured at least 215 more, including a fifteen-year-old high school student killed by a collapsing wall in Davao del Sur Province, a 66-year-old man who died of head injuries in South Cotabato, and a father and child killed in Cotabato. The Earthquake is also reported to have destroyed about 1200 buildings, including ten schools. A number of aftershocks have been recorded since the original event, several of them with Magnitudes in excess of 5.0.

Damage to a building in the town of Magsaysay in Davao del Sur Province, the Philippines, following an Earthquake on 29 October 2019. Anthony Allada/Facebook/AFP.

The geology of the central Philippines is Complex. The west of Mindanao Island is located on the Banda (or Sunda) Microplate, and the east on the Philippine Plate, which is being subducted beneath the Sunda (or Banda) Microplate along the central part of the island. Immediately to the east of the Island the Pacific Plate is being subducted along the Philippine Trench, and passes beneath eastern Mindanao as it sinks into the Earth. This is not a smooth process, an the plates constantly stick together then break apart again as the pressure builds up, resulting in Earthquakes.

 

 Subduction beneath the Philippines. Yves Descatoire/Singapore Earth Observatory.

 

Witness accounts of Earthquakes can help geologists to understand these events, and the structures that cause them. The international non-profit organisation Earthquake Report is interested in hearing from people who may have felt this event; if you felt this quake then you can report it to Earthquake Report here.

 

The location of the 29 October 2019 Cotabato Province Earthquake. Contour lines show rates of movement during the quake, the red line is a boundary between two tectonic plates, in this case the Pacific and Philippine plates. USGS.

 

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Magnitude 6.3 Earthquake beneath Mindanao Island, the Philippines, kills at least five.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology recorded a Magnitude 6.3 Earthquake at a depth of 8 km about 22km to the southeast of the town of Tulunan in Cotabato Province on Mindanao Island, Philippines, slightly after 7.35 pm local time (slightly after 11.35 am GMT) on Wednesday 16 October 2019. The Earthquake is known to have killed at least five people and injured at least fifty more, including two people killed and eighteen injured in a landslide in the town of Magsaysay in Davao del Sur Province, a child killed in a building collapse in the same town, and another child killed when a wall collapsed in Maguindanao Province. People have reported feeling the quake across the southern Philippines. More than 200 aftershocks have been reported following the initial event.

Damage to a building in the city of Digos in Davao del Sur Province, Mindanao Island, following an Earthquake on 16 October 2019. Manman Dejeto/AFP.

The geology of the central Philippines is Complex. The west of Mindanao Island is located on the Banda (or Sunda) Microplate, and the east on the Philippine Plate, which is being subducted beneath the Sunda (or Banda) Microplate along the central part of the island. Immediately to the east of the Island the Pacific Plate is being subducted along the Philippine Trench, and passes beneath eastern Mindanao as it sinks into the Earth. This is not a smooth process, an the plates constantly stick together then break apart again as the pressure builds up, resulting in Earthquakes.

 Subduction beneath the Philippines. Yves Descatoire/Singapore Earth Observatory.

Witness accounts of Earthquakes can help geologists to understand these events, and the structures that cause them. The international non-profit organisation Earthquake Report is interested in hearing from people who may have felt this event; if you felt this quake then you can report it to Earthquake Report here.

The location of the 16 October 2019 Cotabato Province Earthquake. Contour lines show rates of movement during the quake, the red line is a boundary between two tectonic plates, in this case the Pacific and Philippine plates. USGS.

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Magnitude 6.4 Earthquake to the southeast of Mindanao Island, the Philippines.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology recorded a Magnitude 6.4 Earthquake at a depth of 63 km about 80 km off the southeast coast of Mindanao Island, Philippines, slightly 3.00 pm local time(slightly after 2.00 am GMT) on Sunday 29 September 2019. There are no reports of any damage or casualties associated with the event, but it was felt across the southern Philippines and central Indonesia.

 The approximate location of the 29 September 2019 Mindanao Earthquake. USGS.

The geology of the central Philippines is Complex. The west of Mindanao Island is located on the Banda (or Sunda) Microplate, and the east on the Philippine Plate, which is being subducted beneath the Sunda (or Banda) Microplate along the central part of the island. Immediately to the east of the Island the Pacific Plate is being subducted along the Philippine Trench, and passes beneath eastern Mindanao as it sinks into the Earth. This is not a smooth process, an the plates constantly stick together then break apart again as the pressure builds up, resulting in Earthquakes.

 Subduction beneath the Philippines. Yves Descatoire/Singapore Earth Observatory.

Witness accounts of Earthquakes can help geologists to understand these events, and the structures that cause them. The international non-profit organisation Earthquake Report is interested in hearing from people who may have felt this event; if you felt this quake then you can report it to Earthquake Report here.

See also...

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