A magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck the Mindanao region in the southern Philippines at 7:37 a.m. Monday. The U.S. Geological Survey said the epicenter was west-southwest of Burias and the quake occurred at a depth of 35 kilometers, with no immediate damage infor
Early Monday morning, the ground shifted in the Mindanao region of the southern Philippines as a powerful magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck at 7:37 a.m., according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The quake’s epicenter was 24.7 kilometers (15.3 miles) west-southwest of Burias, Philippines, and it occurred at a depth of 35 kilometers (22 miles). No information on damage was immediately available as residents and local responders faced the uncertainty that follows a major temblor.
The Philippines sits along the Pacific “Ring of Fire. ” an arc of seismic faults around the ocean. a location that makes earthquakes and volcanic eruptions a recurring threat. The country is also lashed by about 20 typhoons and tropical storms each year—an additional strain on communities already accustomed to disaster.
With magnitude 7.8, the timing and scale of Monday’s quake mean officials and families alike are left waiting for the first confirmed reports: what, if any, buildings are damaged, whether there are injuries, and how far the shaking traveled beyond the initial epicenter.
Philippines earthquake Mindanao earthquake Burias USGS 7.8 magnitude Pacific Ring of Fire disaster prone countries typhoons