Malita

A 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck the southern Philippines, killing 55 people and displacing 45,000. Philippine officials credited years of disaster-preparedness drills with preventing a higher death toll, as schools and communities demonstrated effective emergency responses despite widespread damage.

A 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck the southern Philippines, killing 55 people and displacing over 45,000. Philippine officials credited disaster-preparedness drills for reducing casualties, as schools and communities followed protocols during the quake and aftershocks.