M 7.7 Earthquake in Philippines Felt Strongly in Sangihe, Residents Evacuate to Higher Ground

A magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck the southern Mindanao region of the Philippines, triggering tsunami early warnings in several areas. The earthquake was also felt across various parts of Indonesia, particularly by residents living in the Sangihe Islands, North Sulawesi.

“Many residents from Tidore, Tapuang, and coastal areas panicked due to the earthquake. They are currently evacuating to the Manganitu road, which is higher than the coastline, to avoid potential tsunami threats,” said Jufry Dalita, a local resident of Sangihe, as reported by ANTARA on Monday (8/6/2026).

The Indonesian Agency for Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics (BMKG) recorded the earthquake’s epicentre at coordinates 5.80°N 125.14°E, located in the sea approximately 244 km northwest of Karatung Island, North Sulawesi, at a depth of 47 km.

Jufry, who is also a civil servant within the Sangihe Islands Regency government, stated that the tremor was very intense, causing residents to rush out of their homes. He urged the community to remain calm and avoid panic.

“The earthquake was very much felt in our island region, causing people to scatter out of their houses,” he added.

The magnitude 7.7 earthquake occurred at 06:37:42 WIB in the southern Mindanao coast, Philippines, caused by tectonic plate subduction.

“Observing the location of the epicentre and the depth of the hypocentre, the earthquake is classified as a shallow earthquake resulting from plate subduction activity,” said Wijayanto, Director of Earthquakes and Tsunamis at BMKG, in a release shared via the ‘BMKG and Stakeholders’ communication group at 08:18 WITA in Manado.

Source analysis of the earthquake mechanism indicates a thrust fault movement.

The earthquake was also felt in Morotai City, North Halmahera, with an intensity of IV MMI. It was also recorded in North Gorontalo Regency with an intensity of III-IV MMI.

Furthermore, the tremors were felt in Batang Dua, Ternate, West Halmahera, Gorontalo, South Halmahera, East Halmahera, Parigi Moutong, Manado, Minahasa, Palu, Bitung, East Boltim, and Central Halmahera with an intensity of III MMI.