At least five people have been reported dead after a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck the southern city of General Santos in the Philippines on Monday, Reuters reported. The quake collapsed buildings and triggered tsunami warnings across the region.
Agripino Dacera, the disaster management chief in General Santos, said the fatalities are still being verified as authorities assess the extent of the damage on the ground.
Authorities in the Philippines and Indonesia urged residents to move to higher ground after a tsunami of up to 3 feet struck parts of the Philippine coastline
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. suspended school classes in affected areas of Mindanao and called on residents in coastal areas to evacuate immediately, AFP reported.
“Move to higher ground now. Do not wait,” he said. “Your life is more important than anything left behind.”
