68 killed after strong quake hit S. Philippines

MANILA - At least 68 people were killed and 33 are missing after a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck off the southern coast of Mindanao, the Philippines, on June 8, said the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) on Tuesday.

In its latest report, the NDRRMC said the earthquake affected over 337,000 households, or some 1.38 million people. Nearly 68,000 houses sustained damage, among which over 12,380 were labeled as "totally damaged."

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said the tectonic earthquake occurred at 7:37 am local time on June 8 at a depth of 33 km, with the epicenter 32 km southwest of the coast of Maasim town in Sarangani province on Mindanao Island.

The Philippines experiences frequent seismic activity due to its location along the Pacific "Ring of Fire," a zone of major tectonic plate boundaries known for earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.