Dramatic visuals show moment massive 7.8 magnitude earthquake strikes Philippines | VIDEO

A massive earthquake rattled the southern Philippines on Monday (Jun 8), prompting tsunami warnings in several countries. The earthquake occurred at a depth of 35 kilometres (22 miles) about 24 kilometres west of Mindanao island’s Sarangani province. The initial quake was followed by a powerful aftershock of magnitude 6.1, according to the United States Geological Survey. At least 15 people were killed in the quake, as several buildings collapsed in the country.

Videos posted on social media showed the moment the earthquake struck the Philippines, causing violent shaking of the land and resulting in devastation. In the clips, people can be seen running to take shelter as chaos unfolded.

In videos, a shopping centre building with a Jollibee fast food restaurant can be seen collapsing. In another viral footage, school children can be heard screaming as the school building is reduced to rubble.

The schools were shut immediately, and the authorities also closed the airport in General Santos until further notice.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos urged residents in coastal areas to evacuate immediately and move to higher ground amid the looming threat of a possible tsunami.

“Move to higher ground now. Do not wait,” he said. “Your life is more important than anything left behind.”

Earthquakes in the Philippines are not unusual, given that it is located on the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, an arc of intense seismic activity stretching from Japan through Southeast Asia and across the Pacific basin.

Earlier in October, Eastern Mindanao was rocked by a pair of earthquakes of 7.4 and 6.7 magnitude. Before these quakes, a magnitude 6.9 earthquake happened days earlier, killing 76 people and damaging 72,000 buildings in Cebu province in central Philippines.

Tsunami warning

The quake triggered tsunami warnings for coastal regions in several countries. According to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, tsunami waves were possible along the coasts of the Philippines, Indonesia, Palau, Taiwan, Yap and Papua New Guinea.

Japanese authorities also issued a tsunami warning and an evacuation order in northern Indonesia in high-risk areas following the earthquake. Although waves that reached the country's coast were reported to be no larger than 20 centimetres.