Since the 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck the southern Philippines at 7:37 a.m. local time on June 8, the death toll has climbed to at least 32, with hundreds injured and rescue teams still working through rubble in General Santos City and surrounding provinces.

The Landslide That Killed 13

Early coverage focused on building collapses and the tsunami threat. A landslide proved deadlier than either.

Rene Punzalan, a disaster-mitigation official for Sarangani province, told DZBB radio that the landslide buried houses in the mountainous town of Glan — killing 13 villagers in one event. Four other Sarangani residents also died, for reasons still under investigation, according to the Associated Press.

That's 17 of the 32 confirmed deaths tied to Sarangani province alone. The landslide deaths received minimal attention in initial reporting.

General Santos: A City of 700,000 Gets Hit Hard

General Santos is a port city of more than 700,000 people and a regional hub for the Philippines' tuna export industry, according to the Associated Press.

Video verified by The Guardian shows the upper floor of a Jollibee restaurant collapsing. A commercial complex lost its outer concrete walls. A convenience store near the epicenter was gutted — smashed glass and overturned benches in the street. A portion of a high school in Davao del Sur collapsed as students gathered outside, captured on video by local radio network Bombo Radyo.

Robert Dagon, of the General Santos City police, told Agence France-Presse: "Many buildings were affected, but I cannot enumerate them now because we are busy with ongoing rescues."

Rod Sosmeña, regional director of the Office of Civil Defense, was inside a pickup truck in General Santos when the quake hit. "Our pickup truck suddenly jerked and I thought we had a flat tire," he told the AP. "The shaking was very strong and people dashed out of houses into the streets."

Ednar Dayanghirang, another regional disaster-response official, said he "could hardly stand and keep my balance" when the ground shook as he was leaving his home in Davao.

The Numbers, As They Stand

Current confirmed figures:

• 32 dead, according to the Associated Press
• 200+ injured, mostly from collapsing structures
• 12 missing, per The Guardian citing the office of civil defence spokesperson Junie Castillo
• 138 aftershocks recorded by late morning, with the strongest at magnitude 6.7, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS)
• Tsunami waves up to 1 meter (3 feet) hit nearby coastlines
• Tsunami threat formally lowered within five hours, per the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center

Early reports put the death toll at 12, then 15, then 19. The current figure of 32 comes from updated Associated Press reporting. The number is expected to rise as rescue operations continue in remote areas.

The Tsunami: Real Threat, Limited Damage

The tsunami was real. Waves of up to 1 meter hit Philippine coastlines, and a wave of up to 0.75 meters was detected in North Sulawesi, Indonesia, according to Abdul Muhari, spokesperson for Indonesia's disaster mitigation agency. Residents of the Sangihe Islands, close to the Philippines, evacuated to higher ground.

Japan's meteorological agency confirmed a tsunami of 0.2 meters or lower was observed, with some ferry disruptions and precautionary beach closures. Australia initially warned of potential waves on its northern coasts.

PHIVOLCS Director Teresito Bacolcol confirmed to reporters that no deaths, injuries, or significant damage were directly linked to the tsunami. The landslide and building collapses account for the casualties.

What the Government Is Doing

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered the cancellation of classes and directed disaster-response agencies to deploy immediately, according to the Associated Press. Evacuation centers were activated. The office of civil defence is urging residents not to re-enter damaged buildings or homes due to ongoing aftershock risk — a precaution justified by the 6.7 magnitude aftershock that already struck.

Marcos stated publicly that "the national government is moving." The practical test is how quickly aid reaches Sarangani province, where the landslide victims in Glan are located in a mountainous, hard-to-reach area.

What the Coverage Is Getting Wrong

Most early headlines led with the tsunami. The tsunami caused zero confirmed deaths. The landslide killed 13 people and received minimal coverage for hours.

Al Jazeera initially cited a magnitude of 8.7 in a photo caption — a significant factual error. The confirmed magnitude from both PHIVOLCS and the U.S. Geological Survey is 7.8. The discrepancy matters because it represents a substantially different destructive force on a logarithmic scale.

The death toll discrepancies between outlets — 12, 15, 19, 32 — reflect genuine on-the-ground chaos. But readers deserve clarity that the numbers are still moving.

What This Means

The Philippines sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, making frequent seismic activity an established risk. General Santos City's tuna export economy and regional infrastructure took a serious hit.

Rescue teams are still working. Remote mountain communities in Sarangani have been hardest hit and are hardest to reach. The death toll of 32 will almost certainly climb before it stops.