Philippines earthquake kills at least 31, triggers tsunami warnings

A magnitude 7.8 earthquake in the southern Philippine city of General Santos kills at least 32, causing sever damage to the island city.

The Philippines Seismology records waves as high as 1.4m in its regional coasts. Indonesia and Japan issue tsunami warnings in light of the quake. The earthquake struck early Monday morning. A building is seen collapsing as people scramble to safety. Video from a local elementary school shows students screaming and crying as the quake hits.

A teacher is seen telling students to "just sit" as a canopy collapses. There are reports of slight damage in the main city near the epicentre. Officials urge citizens to seek higher ground as waves as high as 1.4m are being tracked in the region.

The coastal city, a commercial tuna processing hub, is home to more than 700,000 people. The epicentre is 13km southwest of General Santos and has a depth of 10km, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology.

Agencies in Indonesia and Japan issue tsunami warnings in light of the situation. Indonesia's Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency issues alert statuses for five areas including Minahasa, Manado, and Buol, with waves recorded so far ranging between nine and 18cm. Japan's coastal areas from Ibaraki Prefecture on the country's eastern Pacific coast to the island prefecture of Okinawa in the south are also put on alert.