35 dead, building destroyed, thousands affected: How the Philippines earthquake left a trail of destruction

35 people were killed and over 200 were injured after a 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit the southern Philippines on Monday, with its center at sea off Mindanao, as reported by Associated Press. Most of the deaths were caused by the building collapses. Also, the quake occurred at a depth of 33 kilometers (20 miles), about 32 kilometers (20 miles) southwest of Maasim town in Sarangani province.Many feared a tsunami but waves up to 1.4-meters (4.6-feet) above tide level were measured in the Philippines, but the only tsunami damage reported was to six shanties on stilts in a coastal village.13 people were killed due to building collapse and falling debris triggered by the earthquake in General Santos, the tuna capital of the country. At least 18 lives were lost in the mountainside town of Glan, mostly in the landslide that buried the houses, according to Rafaelito Alejandro of the Office of Civil Defense. Some deaths were also reported in the southern provinces of South Cotabato and Davao Occidental, and on Balut Island, disaster-response officials told The Manila Times.Moreover, an initial government damage assessment found that around 2,500 homes and 117 government buildings and infrastructure were damaged across various provinces.School students, attending the first day of school following a two-month summer break, were also injured and now, almost 6,000 public school buildings affected by the earthquake need to be evaluated before classes can resume. Authorities have issued a warning that aftershocks, some of which are quite strong, might cause buildings with cracks to fall.“We cannot force the immediate reopening of schools because we have to ensure the integrity of the buildings,” Alejandro told AP. In hardest-hit Sarangani province, some areas remain accessible only by helicopter and fears of aftershocks were slowing rescue efforts, local officials told AP reporters at a Tuesday briefing.Malaysia's Sabah state, only a boat trip from Southern Philippines, on Borneo island was also affected by the earthquake.A gauge off the Indonesian island of Sulawesi recorded a tsunami measuring 83 centimeters (2.7 feet), while the PTWC reported waves at 30 cm (1 foot) in Palau.Also, the Central Japanese town of Kushimoto and the isolated island of Chichijima were hit by 20cm waves.Top defense-mitigation officials from Manila were sent by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to assist in managing search and rescue operations, distributing tens of thousands of food packs and building supplies to earthquake victims, and evaluating damage to roads, bridges, and other infrastructure.The United States, a treaty ally of the Philippines, stated that it was prepared to assist Philippine response efforts and was in coordination with Manila. New Zealand, Japan, and France also voiced their support.The Philippines is prone to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions as it is located on the Pacific "Ring of Fire," an arc of seismic faults around the ocean.