Rescue teams in the southern Philippines continued searching damaged buildings on Tuesday to ensure no one remains trapped, a day after one of the country's strongest earthquakes in the last 50 years killed at least 37 people and displaced more than 20,000 residents.

Authorities confirmed that only four people are officially listed as missing in the provinces near the epicenter of Monday’s massive 7.8-magnitude earthquake.

However, the Office of Civil Defense emphasized that several collapsed and severely damaged structures still need to be thoroughly checked for possible survivors and additional casualties.

The powerful earthquake struck off the coast of Mindanao, the Philippines' second-most populous island, injuring nearly 500 people and forcing thousands to seek refuge in emergency shelters.

Fearing a tsunami, many residents fled their homes.

While waves reaching up to 1.4 meters above normal tide levels were recorded in parts of the Philippines, tsunami-related damage was limited, with officials reporting that six stilt houses in a coastal village were damaged by the waves. Smaller tsunami waves were also observed in Indonesia, Palau and southern Japan.

The disaster caused widespread destruction across several provinces.

In General Santos, a coastal city known as the country's tuna industry hub, at least 13 people died due to collapsed buildings and falling debris.

Another 18 people were killed in Sarangani province, most of them in a landslide that buried homes in the mountainous town of Glan, according to disaster officials.

Additional deaths were reported in South Cotabato, Davao Occidental, and Balut Island.

Initial government assessments revealed that around 2,000 houses and 117 government buildings and facilities were damaged.
General Santos International Airport remains closed, leading to the cancellation of 63 domestic flights, with exceptions made only for those carrying humanitarian aid.

Furthermore, authorities stated that nearly 6,000 public school buildings in the affected provinces must be inspected before classes can resume.

The earthquake struck tragically on the first day of the new school term following a two-month summer break, and many of those injured were students attending morning flag-raising ceremonies.

Officials have warned that damaged buildings remain at high risk of collapse due to strong aftershocks.

Addressing the situation, Rafaelito Alejandro of the Office of Civil Defense stated, "We cannot force the immediate reopening of schools because we have to ensure the integrity of the buildings."

According to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, the earthquake originated at a depth of 33 kilometers beneath the sea, about 32 kilometers southwest of Maasim town in Sarangani province.

The quake was triggered by movement along the Cotabato Trench and stands as the strongest to hit the country since a devastating 8.1-magnitude earthquake and tsunami in 1976 that killed about 8,000 people.

The Philippines also previously experienced a 7.8-magnitude earthquake in 1990, which killed more than 1,000 people and caused major destruction in the country's northern region.

In response to the current crisis, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. deployed senior government officials to oversee rescue operations, aid distribution, and urgent damage assessments of roads, bridges, and other critical infrastructure.

Offers of international solidarity have already emerged; the United States announced it is coordinating with Philippine authorities and stands ready to assist response efforts, while France, Japan, and New Zealand have also expressed their support.

The Philippines frequently experiences earthquakes and volcanic eruptions because it lies along the Pacific "Ring of Fire," a horseshoe-shaped geological zone known for intense seismic activity.

Compounded by the roughly 20 typhoons and tropical storms that hit the archipelago each year, the region remains one of the world's most disaster-prone nations.

With Inputs from UNB