The southern Philippines was struck by two powerful earthquakes on Friday, October 10, 2025, claiming at least six lives and prompting immediate tsunami warnings.
The initial and strongest tremor, measuring a magnitude of 7.4, occurred roughly 20 kilometers (12 miles) off the coast of Manay town in the Mindanao region just before 10 a.m. GMT, as reported by the United States Geological Survey.
A significant aftershock, registering a magnitude of 6.7, rattled the same area nearly 10 hours later. This was one of hundreds of subsequent tremors experienced after the morning’s main quake.
These recent seismic events follow another devastating magnitude 6.9 earthquake that hit Cebu province in the central Philippines just 11 days prior, which resulted in 75 deaths and over 1,200 injuries, according to official figures.
Tragically, three gold miners in the mountains west of Manay lost their lives when a tunnel collapsed during the larger earthquake. Rescue official Kent Simeon of Pantukan town reported that one miner was rescued alive, and several others sustained injuries in the remote village of Gumayan. He added that while some tunnels caved in, other miners managed to escape.
In Mati city, the largest urban center near the epicenter, one person died when a wall collapsed, and another suffered a fatal heart attack. Further inland, in Davao city, over 100 kilometers west of the epicenter, police confirmed another fatality due to falling debris.
Following the morning quake, Philippine authorities swiftly issued tsunami warnings, instructing coastal residents along the eastern seaboard to evacuate.
However, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center later lifted its alert for the Philippines, Palau, and Indonesia around midday.
Panic and Disruption
Wes Caasi, an official in Tagum city, northwest of Manay, described the scene of a government event at the city hall turning into chaos as terrified attendees scrambled for safety. “They screamed and ran,” Caasi recounted.
Videos circulating on social media confirmed the widespread panic, showing city workers hastily climbing down a metal Christmas tree they were decorating when the initial quake struck.
Nice Eugenio from Tagum city shared her experience, stating that the strong aftershock caused a power outage in her neighborhood. “It lasted only a few seconds, but it was very strong. I felt like I was going to faint from nervousness,” she confessed.
A plane that had just landed in Davao city was shaken by the aftershock, which temporarily prevented passengers from disembarking.
Despite the intensity, witnesses and officials indicated that the earthquakes primarily caused minor damage. The Philippine seismology office has recorded over 300 aftershocks.
While no buildings completely collapsed, Davao Oriental provincial governor Nelson Dayanghirang informed a local network that “there were landslides and our bridges exhibited cracks.” He also mentioned that “some buildings were damaged.”
Over 200 patients from the Manay district hospital had to be evacuated, with tents erected outside to provide shelter after the building’s foundations developed cracks, Governor Dayanghirang added.
Dianne Lacorda, a police officer in Davao Oriental, noted that power and communication lines were disrupted, hindering comprehensive damage assessments.
As a precautionary measure, classes were suspended, and non-essential workers were sent home, according to an announcement by the provincial government on social media.
A Nation on the Ring of Fire
Christine Sierte, a teacher in Compostela town near Manay, described the terrifying onset of the shaking while she was in an online meeting. “It was very slow at first, then it got stronger…. That’s the longest time of my life. We weren’t able to walk out of the building immediately because the shaking was so strong,” she told reporters. She further noted, “The ceilings of some offices fell, but luckily no one was injured.”
Earthquakes are a common occurrence in the Philippines, as the archipelago lies on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” a volatile arc of intense seismic activity extending from Japan through Southeast Asia and across the Pacific basin.
The country has a history of devastating quakes, including an 8.0-magnitude earthquake off Mindanao island’s southwest coast in 1976, which triggered a tsunami and claimed 8,000 lives or left them missing, marking it as the Philippines’ deadliest natural disaster.