Dozens dead after earthquake hits southern Philippines

At least 32 people were killed when a powerful earthquake struck the southern Philippines on Monday, prompting tsunami warnings across parts of the region which were lifted again a few hours later.

The quake struck at 7:37 am (2337 GMT on Sunday) and registered a magnitude of 7.8, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs).

The tremor's epicentre was located south-west of Maasim town in Sarangani province, on the southern island of Mindanao, Phivolcs said.

Twelve people remain missing and a total of 134 were injured, according to official figures.

Seventeen people were killed in Sarangani province, including 13 in a landslide in Glan town, according to Rene Punzalan, a provincial disaster relief officer.

Another four people were killed in Malapatan town, he said.

Ten fatalities were reported in General Santos City, which is home to some 70,000 and was particularly affected by the quake, according to civil defence and disaster officials.

Another three people were killed in Davao Occidental province and two in Tupi town in South Cotabato province, according to the national disaster agency.

The tremor was also felt in parts of Indonesia, particularly on the island of Sulawesi, where a tsunami warning was also issued. Japan likewise warned parts of its Pacific coastline of possible waves.

The US Geological Survey (USGS), which had initially put the quake's magnitude at 8.2, but later also revised it down to 7.8, lifted its tsunami warning later on Monday.

According to the USGS, the quake struck at a relatively shallow depth of 55 kilometres.

The USGS also reported numerous aftershocks.

The agency had previously warned that waves of up to 3 metres could occur along some coastal areas.

The Philippine's Phivolcs has since also lifted its tsunami warning, after reporting strong waves of up to 1.5 metres in six coastal areas.

In eastern parts of Indonesia, the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysical Agency (BMKG) recorded small tsunami waves at several monitoring stations. However, the sea level rose only slightly in this area, the agency said, also lifting its tsunami warning.

Meanwhile, the extent of the damage in the region remains unclear.

Videos circulating on social media showed several buildings collapsing or partially collapsing in the Philippine's Mindanao region.

Electricity and telecommunications services were disrupted in affected areas, the Philippine's disaster agency said.

School classes were cancelled, while work in government and private offices was also suspended.

The earthquake struck on the first day of the school year, during flag-raising ceremonies at schools and government offices, meaning many students, teachers and staff were already outside buildings.

Elene Marie Jane Gamboa, principal of Matanao National High School in Davao del Sur province, said one of the school buildings collapsed.

"Thank God we were having our flag-raising ceremony and everyone was outside," she told Manila radio station DZMM.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr immediately ordered relief and protective measures and called on the population to follow the instructions of the authorities.

Mindanao region lies on the Pacific Ring of Fire, a belt of intense tectonic activity encircling the Pacific Ocean, where earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur with particular frequency.