Mindanao Quake Uplifts Coast
Offshore 6.5-Magnitude Quake Strikes Mindanao; No Casualties, Aftershocks and Coastal Uplift Seen
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Key Points
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USGS revised the offshore quake's magnitude from 6.7 to 6.5, with a depth of about 52.4 km and an epicenter roughly 35 km southwest of Jose Abad Santos town on Mindanao.
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Geologic effects included coastal uplift, where the seabed rose by about two metres along a long stretch of the coast, pushing submerged features upward and extending the shoreline by as much as 200 metres.
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The quake struck at about 7:42 p.m. local time (11:42 GMT), approximately 21 kilometres southwest of Sarangani on Mindanao and at a depth of around 65.7 kilometres; no tsunami warning was issued.
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A sequence of aftershocks followed the initial quake, including a 6.5-magnitude tremor as authorities monitored the region for further activity.
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Local rescue official Jerson Talahig described the shaking as intense but brief, noting that household items and lights moved during the quake.
A 6.7-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Mindanao in the southern Philippines on the evening of June 26, 2026, shaking communities still reeling from a deadly 7.8-magnitude quake earlier in the month. AFP reported the tremor hit at about 7:42 p.m. local time, roughly 21 kilometres southwest of Sarangani, at a depth of 65.7 kilometres. No tsunami warning was issued and no immediate casualties were reported.
The US Geological Survey later revised the magnitude down to 6.5, placing the epicenter about 35 km southwest of Jose Abad Santos town at a depth of 52.4 km, according to The Hindu. A 6.5-magnitude aftershock followed within hours. The quakes come as the region grapples with 81 deaths, 1,319 injuries, and an estimated ₱71 billion ($1.44 billion) in damage from the June 8 disaster.
A Region Still Shaking After June 8 Disaster
The June 8 quake was catastrophic. A 7.8-magnitude rupture along the Cotabato Trench — a subduction zone off southern Mindanao — killed at least 81 people and triggered tsunami warnings across the Pacific. More than 87,000 homes were damaged or destroyed, according to Wikipedia. By June 26, seismologists had recorded over 7,400 aftershocks from that initial event alone.
The Municipal Council of Jose Abad Santos declared a State of Calamity after June 8, unlocking emergency funds. Mayor Jason John Joyce confirmed seven deaths and 25 injuries in his town, most caused by landslides. "Our roads were also affected by landslides," he told the Philippine News Agency. Many residents remain in roadside tents, too afraid to go home.
Coastline Permanently Changed by Two-Metre Seabed Rise
The June 8 quake produced one of the most dramatic geological effects seen in the region in decades. The seabed rose by about two metres along a long stretch of Mindanao's southern coast. In Barangay Pangyan, the shoreline extended seaward by as much as 200 metres, exposing coral reefs and seagrass beds that had always been underwater, according to South China Morning Post.
Scientists from PHIVOLCS — the Philippines' volcano and earthquake agency — call this "coastal uplift." It is a permanent geographic change, not a temporary wave. Arab News reported a massive die-off of marine life, including reef fish, algae, and eels, as their habitats were pushed above sea level. Local fisherman Arsenio Butil Jr. said simply: "the sea has moved."
June 26 Shaking Felt as Intense but Brief
Local rescue official Jerson Talahig was in Santa Maria town when the June 26 quake hit. "It was kind of strong, but it was quick," he told AFP. "We saw the table and some of the lights shaking." Authorities quickly checked for damage and found no major structural failures or deaths from the new tremor.
The Straits Times reported that a 6.5-magnitude aftershock followed the main June 26 event within about two hours. Officials warned that more aftershocks could be expected. Half the barangays in Jose Abad Santos had already been cut off by landslides after June 8. Fresh tremors risk closing mountain roads that rescue teams had only recently cleared.
Southern Philippines Sits on One of Earth's Most Active Fault Zones
The Philippines lies on the Pacific Ring of Fire, a belt of tectonic plate boundaries that produces most of the world's earthquakes. The Cotabato Trench runs offshore southern Mindanao, where the Celebes Sea Plate dives beneath the Philippine Mobile Belt. The Manila Times reported that PHIVOLCS identified this trench as the source of the June 8 rupture — a "seismic gap" where stress had been building for decades.
Leaders-mena.com noted that the June 26 quake struck less than three weeks after the 80-plus-death disaster, underscoring how relentless seismic activity can be in this zone. The Office of Civil Defense is coordinating ongoing relief, with the DSWD delivering ₱20,000 (about $340) per bereaved family for funeral costs, according to Philippine News Agency.
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