The magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck on June 8 near the Cotabato Trench off Mindanao, triggering landslides, damaging infrastructure and causing widespread displacement. Scientists say the quake also generated significant coastal uplift, a geological process in which tectonic forces force sections of land upward.

Initial assessments by Philippine seismologists indicate that parts of the seabed rose by as much as two meters, extending the shoreline by up to 200 meters in some areas and transforming previously submerged coral reefs into exposed stretches of land.

“What they see now is their new coastline,” said Nane Danlag of the Philippine seismology agency, adding that the changes are permanent.

The affected zone stretches across nearly 100 kilometers of coastline between communities in southern Mindanao, according to preliminary surveys.

Residents described witnessing the transformation as it unfolded. Arsenio Butil Jr., a fisherman and pastor from Sarangani province’s Glan municipality, said the sea repeatedly receded and returned during the earthquake.

“What I saw at the shoreline was that the water receded. After a while, I saw it slowly returning. And then it receded again. Maybe three or four times,” he said.

The newly elevated coastline has left fishing boats stranded far from the water and exposed large expanses of coral that had previously been underwater.

The geological shift has also heightened anxiety among residents already traumatized by the disaster. In a hillside evacuation site near the coast, around 100 displaced villagers continued to shelter in temporary conditions more than a week after the earthquake.

Many fear that further seismic activity could trigger a tsunami despite reassurances from experts.

“What if the sea surges forward? That is what everyone fears,” said Datu Atom Malimpnig, a local community leader whose village was heavily affected.

The changes are also threatening tourism-dependent businesses. Resort operators along the coast say the exposed coral and shallower waters have altered beachfront landscapes that once attracted visitors.

Edzel Baylon, an employee at the Isla Jardin del Mar resort, said the area’s white-sand beaches are now separated from the sea by broad stretches of uplifted coral.

“It has a huge effect on the resort, because the main draw for customers is the sea,” Baylon said.

Seismologists noted that the Cotabato Trench is among the Philippines’ most active seismic zones. Thousands of smaller tremors were recorded in the area earlier this year, and authorities have logged more than 8,500 aftershocks since the June 8 earthquake.

Scientists say the coastal uplift is part of a natural tectonic process that has shaped the region over thousands of years, although the scale of the changes has been striking for residents witnessing the transformation firsthand.

With aftershocks continuing across the region, many families remain reluctant to rebuild homes damaged by the earthquake, citing concerns about cracked ground and the possibility of further strong tremors.

The quake triggered strong shaking that lasted more than a minute in Palu, a coastal city of around 400,000 people and the capital of Central Sulawesi province, sending residents and hospital staff into open areas as a precaution.

Hospitals evacuated patients, including some still attached to IV drips, while several buildings sustained visible damage including collapsed roofs, cracked walls and debris scattered across streets, according to accounts from the affected area.

Several aftershocks followed the main tremor, including one measured at magnitude 5.2, prompting continued caution among residents who moved away from buildings and coastal zones amid concerns about possible secondary effects.

Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysical Agency said there was no tsunami threat following the quake but warned that aftershocks could continue in the region.

The US Geological Survey reported that the earthquake was centered about 43 kilometers east-southeast of Palu at a depth of approximately 10 kilometers, indicating a shallow quake consistent with strong surface shaking.

Local residents described intense tremors and expressed fear due to past disasters, including the 2018 earthquake and tsunami that devastated Palu and surrounding areas, killing more than 4,000 people.

Authorities said assessments of damage and potential casualties were still underway as emergency response teams monitored affected areas and continued safety checks.

New research has identified an active fault south of Auckland capable of generating a significant earthquake, prompting renewed scrutiny of the seismic risks facing New Zealand’s largest city and raising questions about recent decisions to exempt the region from certain earthquake-strengthening requirements.

The study, published in the New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics, found that the Mangatangi Fault, located in the Hunua Ranges about 50 kilometers southeast of central Auckland, has ruptured within the past 10,000 years. Researchers estimate the fault could generate an earthquake of up to magnitude 6.8 if it were to rupture along its full length.

The findings challenge a long-standing perception that Auckland faces relatively low earthquake risk compared with other parts of New Zealand. While the city remains less exposed to major seismic hazards than many regions further south, scientists say the research highlights significant gaps in understanding Auckland’s geological history.

Dr. James Muirhead, a senior lecturer in geology at the University of Auckland and a co-author of the study, said the consequences of a major rupture could be severe for communities in southern parts of the city and potentially beyond.“If the whole fault ruptured, there would likely be serious consequences for people living in South Auckland, and possibly further into central Auckland as well,” Muirhead said.

The research marks the first time a fault in the Auckland region or the Hunua Ranges has been dated using radiocarbon techniques to determine when it last moved. Scientists classify a fault as active if it has ruptured within the past 125,000 years.According to Muirhead, the study demonstrates how little is currently known about the seismic history of the Auckland region and underscores the need for further investigation into local fault systems.

New Zealand lies along the boundary between the Pacific and Australian tectonic plates, making it one of the world’s most seismically active countries. The country records approximately 20,000 earthquakes annually, although only around 250 are generally strong enough to be felt by residents.Some earthquakes have had devastating consequences.

The 2011 Christchurch earthquake, which measured magnitude 6.3, killed 185 people and caused widespread destruction across the city’s central business district.Historically, most significant earthquakes in New Zealand have occurred in the South Island and the lower North Island. Auckland experiences occasional minor tremors but has generally been regarded as having a lower probability of damaging earthquakes.

That assessment played a role in policy discussions over earthquake-prone buildings. In 2023, Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown argued that the city’s low seismic risk justified changes to national building regulations. He cited the absence of evidence for major earthquakes affecting Auckland over a period of approximately 100,000 years.

The government subsequently announced in 2025 that Auckland would be exempt from earthquake-prone building rules, meaning many structures in the city would not be required to undergo costly seismic strengthening.The new findings have prompted some researchers to question whether the current regulatory framework fully reflects the region’s geological realities.

Muirhead said additional research is needed before drawing firm conclusions about whether existing legislation should be revised. While future investigations could ultimately show the risk is lower than currently estimated, they could also reveal that Auckland faces a greater hazard than previously believed.“We could see that the risk is actually lower than what we think right now, but we could also collect data and find actually it’s a little bit higher, and at that stage we should really think about whether we have the right legislation for buildings in the city,” he said.

Scientists caution that a single study is unlikely to dramatically alter Auckland’s position within New Zealand’s national seismic hazard assessments. The country’s seismic hazard model, updated by GNS Science in 2022, continues to show that Auckland faces lower levels of earthquake shaking risk than many other regions.

Anna Kaiser, chief scientist for earthquake hazards at Earth Sciences New Zealand, said the study is nevertheless valuable because it contributes important local data that can be incorporated into future hazard assessments.According to Kaiser, the findings improve understanding of Auckland’s geological environment and help refine long-term risk models. She emphasized the importance of preparedness and evidence-based planning rather than alarm.

The government has indicated that it will review emerging scientific findings as more information becomes available. Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk said the new research would be considered as part of ongoing assessments, but stressed that one study alone does not justify an immediate change in regulatory settings.

Mayor Brown rejected suggestions that the findings significantly alter Auckland’s risk profile. In comments responding to the study, he argued that the geological conditions beneath much of Auckland differ from those surrounding the fault zone identified by researchers.Scientists involved in the study say further investigations are now needed to determine whether other faults in and around Auckland may also be active.

They argue that building a more complete picture of the region’s seismic history is essential for informed urban planning and risk management in a metropolitan area that is home to more than one-third of New Zealand’s population.

For researchers, the objective is not only to better understand Auckland’s geological past but also to ensure that future planning decisions are guided by the most comprehensive evidence available, helping reduce the potential impact of any major earthquake that could occur in the region.

Rescue operations continued in General Santos City, one of the areas hardest hit by Monday’s earthquake, after a strong aftershock forced emergency personnel to evacuate a partially collapsed three-story grocery building where search teams were looking for a missing employee.

Approximately 30 firefighters and coast guard personnel scrambled to safety when fresh tremors shook the damaged structure, sending concrete debris crashing from the building. Rescue operations were temporarily halted while authorities reassessed safety conditions at the site.

The earthquake, among the strongest to strike the Philippines in decades, caused widespread destruction across southern Mindanao, the country’s second-most populous region. Officials said more than 25,000 people remained displaced, many housed in 45 government-run evacuation centers as persistent aftershocks heightened fears of additional building collapses.

Teresito Bacolcol, director of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, said the earthquake had generated more than 2,100 aftershocks, including several reaching magnitudes of up to 6.4. Such tremors remain capable of causing further structural damage and casualties, he said.

Authorities reported that more than 3,100 homes were damaged along with 29 roads, 11 bridges and over 100 government buildings. The international airport in General Santos sustained damage and remains closed to commercial operations, although government and military flights carrying relief supplies and disaster-response personnel continue to operate.

Education officials said roughly 6,000 public school buildings in affected provinces would require safety inspections before classes could resume. The earthquake struck on the first day of the new academic term following a two-month summer break, leaving many students among those injured.

Most fatalities were attributed to falling debris from collapsed structures and landslides in General Santos and the neighboring provinces of Sarangani, South Cotabato and Davao Occidental. Authorities also reported one death linked to unusually strong sea currents generated after the quake.

The Philippine Coast Guard said seven swimmers near General Santos were swept away shortly after the earthquake. Three were rescued, one returned to shore independently, one drowned and two remain missing.

Seismologists said the earthquake originated in the Cotabato Trench, an undersea fault system off southern Mindanao. The trench was also responsible for the devastating 8.1-magnitude earthquake and tsunami in 1976 that killed about 8,000 people.

Located along the Pacific Ring of Fire, the Philippines is among the world’s most disaster-prone countries and regularly experiences earthquakes and volcanic activity due to intense tectonic movement beneath the region.

Mount Dukono, located on Halmahera island in eastern Indonesia, erupted on Friday morning, sending volcanic ash as high as 10 kilometers into the atmosphere, according to Indonesia’s volcanology authorities.

Local police said the victims included two Singaporean nationals and one Indonesian hiker who were inside a restricted exclusion zone near the crater when the eruption occurred. Indonesia’s search and rescue agency has continued to classify the three as missing while recovery efforts remain underway.Seventeen other climbers, including additional Singaporean nationals, were evacuated safely from the mountain on Friday.

The search operation was temporarily suspended late Friday because of continued eruptions and unstable conditions around the crater area. Authorities resumed the mission on Saturday with more than 100 personnel, including police officers, soldiers and drone operators.“We are racing in this search.

When the situation and condition is safe, we will approach the crater, and when an eruption occurs, we must secure all search personnel,” rescue official Iwan Ramdani said in a statement recorded near the Dukono monitoring station in Mamuya village.

Indonesia’s Centre for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation said the volcano erupted several more times on Saturday, including one blast that produced an ash column reaching around three kilometers above the summit.

National disaster mitigation agency spokesperson Abdul Muhari said preliminary information indicated the bodies of the two Singaporean hikers were located approximately 20 to 30 meters from the crater rim. The location of the Indonesian hiker remained unknown.

Singapore’s foreign ministry said it was coordinating with its embassy in Jakarta to assist affected citizens and their families, according to local media reports.Authorities said the hikers had entered an area subject to a four-kilometer exclusion zone imposed around the crater since December 2024.

The restriction remains in place because of persistent volcanic activity at Mount Dukono, one of Indonesia’s most active volcanoes.The volcano has remained at level two on Indonesia’s four-tier alert system since 2008. Officials said warning signs and public advisories had instructed visitors to avoid the restricted zone.

Indonesia sits along the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” a region of intense seismic and volcanic activity caused by shifting tectonic plates. The archipelago has nearly 130 active volcanoes and experiences frequent eruptions and earthquakes.

The quake hit at 8:42 p.m. local time (1612 GMT) at a depth of 186 km, with its epicentre in Badakhshan Province, according to the United States Geological Survey.

Afghanistan’s health ministry said the fatalities occurred in the Gosfand Dara area of Kabul Province, where a single family was buried under the impact of the tremor. “Eight members of a family died as a result of the earthquake,” ministry spokesman Sharafat Zaman said in a statement.

He added that a child, estimated to be around two years old, survived but was injured. The country’s disaster management agency confirmed the child had sustained injuries during the incident.

Journalists reported that the tremors were felt in Kabul and other parts of the country, though no immediate wider casualty figures were released.

Afghanistan lies along the seismically active Hindu Kush region, where the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates converge, making earthquakes a frequent occurrence.

The latest quake follows a series of deadly seismic events in recent years, including an August tremor that killed more than 2,200 people in eastern Afghanistan after devastating remote mountain communities.

The United States Geological Survey said the offshore quake was followed by aftershocks reaching magnitudes of up to 5. Indonesia’s meteorology agency reported small tsunami waves of 0.3 meters in West Halmahera and 0.2 meters in Bitung.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center initially issued a regional tsunami alert but lifted it about two hours later, stating that the threat had passed based on available data.Local broadcaster Metro TV reported that one person died after being struck by falling rubble in Manado, in North Sulawesi province.

Indonesian officials confirmed the casualty, saying the victim was buried under debris from a collapsed building. One additional person suffered a leg injury.Residents described scenes of panic as the quake struck, with people fleeing their homes. A Manado resident said the shaking lasted for a prolonged period, causing items to fall from shelves and cutting power in some areas, though no major structural damage was visible in her neighborhood.

Authorities reported damage to several buildings in North Sulawesi, though the full extent remained unclear. Regional officials in areas including Ternate and Tidore urged residents to prepare for possible evacuations in the immediate aftermath.

Tsunami warning agencies had cautioned that hazardous waves were possible along coastlines within 1,000 km of the epicenter, including parts of Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia.

Subsequent assessments by authorities in both countries indicated no significant threat to their territories.Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 280 million people, lies along the seismically active Pacific Ring of Fire, where tectonic plate interactions frequently trigger earthquakes and volcanic activity.

In recent history, the country has experienced some of the world’s deadliest seismic disasters, including the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami that killed more than 230,000 people across multiple countries, and a 2018 quake and tsunami in Sulawesi that claimed over 4,300 lives.