At least 35 dead after major earthquake strikes southern Philippines

According to BBC Asia, the earthquake's epicentre was located some 90 kilometres east of Davao city at a depth of about 10 kilometres; the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, PHIVOLCS, recorded at least 12 aftershocks. According to the first official report, students and teachers were trapped under rubble after a school building collapsed in Surigao del Sur. More than 200 homes were damaged in Manay municipality in Davao Oriental.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, NDRRMC, warned that the death toll could be revised and said search-and-rescue operations would continue through the night. PHIVOLCS lifted its tsunami warning three hours after issuing it, while temporary evacuations continued in coastal municipalities; waves not exceeding 0.7 metres were observed at the coast. The Philippines Red Cross said field teams had been deployed to Davao Oriental and that water and blanket deliveries had begun.

President Marcos Jr. said he had released an emergency relief fund worth 1 billion pesos, around 17 million dollars, without declaring a state of emergency, and that the Air Force's C-130 transport aircraft were being directed to affected areas. Cooperation offers for search-and-rescue teams from Japan and Australia were reported; a US Indo-Pacific Command spokesperson said helicopter support was on standby.