Strong earthquake strikes southern Philippines with tsunami warnings issued

A magnitude 7.8 earthquake shook part of the southern Philippines early on Monday, sparking tsunami warnings on some regional coasts, collapsing buildings.

The earthquake killed 12 people and injured more than 200, the Associated Press reported, citing officials.

The epicentre was 13km (8 miles) south-west of General Santos city on the island of Mindanao and had a depth of 10km (6.2 miles), according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology in its initial report. It struck at 7.37am. The US Geological Survey (USGS) put the magnitude at 7.8 and the depth at 55.2km (34 miles).