Weeks after deadly quake, 6.5 tremor rocks southern Philippines

Manila: A powerful 6.5-magnitude earthquake struck the southern Philippines on Monday, shaking the coast of Mindanao just weeks after a devastating tremor killed around 80 people and caused widespread destruction across the region.

Authorities said there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage from the latest earthquake. No tsunami warning had been issued as initial assessments indicated that the tremor had not generated dangerous sea waves.

The latest quake struck the same broad region that was hit by a massive 7.8-magnitude earthquake on June 8. That disaster triggered tsunami alerts across the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia and Japan, while causing extensive structural damage in several parts of southern Mindanao.

General Santos City, home to nearly 750,000 people, suffered the worst destruction during the earlier earthquake. Several buildings were damaged, including a three-storey restaurant that completely collapsed. Videos showing the collapse had circulated widely on social media following the disaster.

International monitoring agencies had warned that tsunami waves of up to three metres could strike coastal areas after the June earthquake, prompting large-scale evacuations in vulnerable regions. However, authorities later withdrew the warning after confirming that wave heights remained below one metre and the threat had passed.

Although the latest earthquake has not resulted in reported casualties or a tsunami warning, its occurrence in the same disaster-prone region has renewed concerns over seismic activity in the southern Philippines. Officials are continuing to monitor the situation closely as residents remain wary after the deadly earthquake that struck only weeks earlier and left lasting destruction across parts of Mindanao.