A 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck off Sarangani province in the southern Philippines on Monday, killing 55 people and leaving 31 others missing, according to Philippine officials. The offshore quake, which hit at 7:37 a.m., injured approximately 1,120 people and displaced more than 45,000 residents.

The earthquake damaged more than 12,600 houses across farming towns and cities in the region. About half of the displaced residents remain in emergency shelters, with many too traumatized to return home due to continuing strong aftershocks.

Officials credited years of disaster-preparedness drills with preventing a higher death toll from what they described as one of the strongest earthquakes to hit the archipelago in 50 years. Teresito Bacolcol, director of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, said the timing of the quake just before work and school hours began likely also helped reduce casualties.

Social media videos captured chaotic scenes as the earthquake struck during flag-raising ceremonies on the first day of school after summer break. At Mahayahay elementary school in Malita, Davao Occidental province, dozens of students were filmed screaming as the ground swayed beneath them. Despite the fear, teachers maintained order and the school reported no injuries.

Ednar Dayanghirang, regional director of the Office of Civil Defense, said disaster-preparedness training helped prevent deadly stampedes and other casualties. The training includes requiring school principals to complete incident management courses and appointing disaster-response teams among teachers.

Bacolcol expressed concern about some building collapses, suggesting construction standards may not have been properly followed. The Philippines sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire and is frequently affected by earthquakes and volcanic eruptions due to its location along major seismic fault lines.