It caused immense damage around the northern and central parts of Mindanao, as well as the southern reaches of Visayas.

[3] It hosts multiple faults and active seismic blocks from southern Luzon to the Cotabato Trench.

[5] Multiple foreshocks preceded the mainshock, the largest measuring 6.3 occurred 6 hours earlier.

Local houses and infrastructures collapsed due to the strong acceleration of ground movement.

The earthquake caused the destruction of both the city's parish church and the southwest bastion of the Fuerte de la Concepcion y del Triunfo, a Spanish fort that was built in the 18th-century.

This was due to the large religious Muslim and Christian populations that were present in the areas near the epicenter.