The death toll from the Magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck off Maasim, Sarangani has climbed to 37, with rescuers still searching for four missing persons and possible survivors trapped beneath collapsed structures, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) reported Tuesday, June 9.
OCD Administrator Undersecretary Harold Cabreros said 33 fatalities were recorded in Soccsksargen (Region 12) and four in Davao Region (Region 11).
The hardest-hit areas were General Santos City and Sarangani province, where search and retrieval teams continued to comb through rubble a day after the powerful quake.
Rescue operations remain relentless. The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) deployed 150 responders, including search-and-rescue dogs, to collapsed buildings in General Santos City.
Teams were also dispatched to Barangay Bawing to locate two missing individuals.
The Philippine Air Force (PAF) sent a Black Hawk helicopter for aerial reconnaissance, while a C-295 transport aircraft carried officials to Davao City to bolster inter-agency response efforts.
Authorities confirmed 479 injuries across Regions 11 and 12, while nearly 88,000 people were affected in total, many now staying in evacuation centers.
The quake triggered landslides in Sarangani and South Cotabato, damaged roads and bridges, and caused widespread power outages that hampered hospital operations.
Cabreros said generator sets and fuel will be provided to ensure medical facilities remain functional.
“We are currently assisting in the retrieval operations for our countrymen who lost their lives,” Cabreros said, noting that the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), Armed Forces (AFP), Philippine National Police (PNP), Coast Guard, and local responders are all on the ground. He urged residents to remain vigilant as aftershocks continue to shake Mindanao.
Despite the offshore origin of the quake, its force was devastating on land, leaving rescuers racing against time to save lives and communities struggling to recover. (Martin Sadongong)
