Casualties mount after strong earthquake hits S Philippines

At least 37 people were killed and about 500 others injured after a magnitude-7.8 earthquake struck the southern Philippines on Monday morning, authorities said Tuesday.

According to the Philippines' Office of Civil Defense, the fatalities were caused by earthquake-triggered landslides, drowning and injuries sustained from falling or collapsing debris. In Sarangani Province, 14 people died when a landslide buried their homes at the foot of a mountain.

The Philippines' Department of Education said the earthquake had affected over 8,600 schools, disrupting classes for over 4 million students and more than 150,000 school personnel. The country's Department of Energy said that around 864,000 households experienced power interruptions.

The Department of Public Works and Highways said the damage to property caused by the quake has reached 1 billion pesos (about $16.2 million) in General Santos City, a port city with a population of over 700,000.

According to civil aviation authorities, landing and takeoff operations at the General Santos International Airport are currently limited to government, military and humanitarian flights until 6 p.m. on June 11.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said the tectonic earthquake occurred at 7:37 a.m. local time at a depth of 33 kilometers, with the epicenter 32 km southwest of the coast of Maasim town in Sarangani Province on Mindanao Island.