By The South Asia Times

MANILA -  The death toll from a powerful 7.8-magnitude earthquake that struck the southern Philippines on Monday has risen to at least 19, while more than 130 people were injured and 12 remain missing, authorities said as rescue teams raced to reach affected communities.

The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) said 16 deaths were recorded in the Soccsksargen region and three in the neighboring Davao Region, according to ABS-CBN.

Officials cautioned that the figures were still being verified and that some fatalities may have been linked to landslides triggered by the quake.

The earthquake, one of the strongest to hit the Philippines in recent years, caused widespread damage across Mindanao, toppling buildings, disrupting power supplies and prompting a tsunami warning that led to the evacuation of around 10,000 families in coastal areas.

Search, rescue and retrieval operations were underway in several provinces, led by emergency responders, the military and local disaster management agencies. Government teams have also been deployed to conduct rapid assessments of damage and humanitarian needs.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology recorded more than 180 aftershocks by Monday afternoon, prompting authorities to warn residents against returning to damaged structures until safety inspections are completed.

Videos verified by media organizations showed collapsed buildings in General Santos City, including a shopping center and a school building. Police reported that at least two people were killed when a wall collapsed in the municipality of Alabel.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. suspended classes in affected areas on what was scheduled to be the first day of the school year and urged residents in coastal communities to move to higher ground immediately following tsunami alerts issued across parts of the

Pacific.

The Department of Education said about 3.2 million students and 128,000 teachers and staff were affected by the disaster, with more than 6,200 school buildings sustaining initial damage.

Nine areas were also experiencing power outages after electricity infrastructure was damaged, although communication links with local disaster offices remained operational.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center had warned that tsunami waves were possible along the coasts of the Philippines, Indonesia, Palau, Taiwan and Papua New Guinea. Authorities in neighboring Indonesia, Malaysia and Japan also issued precautionary alerts, some of which were later lifted.

The Philippines lies on the Pacific "Ring of Fire," a seismically active zone where earthquakes and volcanic eruptions frequently occur.