Earthquake Death Toll Climbs in Southern Philippines

(MENAFN) The number of fatalities resulting from a devastating earthquake that struck the southern Philippines earlier this week has increased to 61, officials announced on Saturday. Search-and-rescue personnel remain actively engaged in operations across the most severely impacted parts of Mindanao.

According to the Office of Civil Defense (OCD), the death toll rose following the recovery of additional victims from disaster-affected locations.

A news agency reported that 33 individuals remain unaccounted for, while 1,221 people have sustained injuries.

Officials stated that search, rescue, and recovery activities are still underway as emergency responders continue efforts to locate survivors and retrieve those trapped beneath landslides and collapsed infrastructure.

The Disaster Response Operations Monitoring and Information Center (DROMIC) revealed that the earthquake has impacted 553,068 residents throughout the Mindanao region.

As cited by a media outlet, approximately 9,393 displaced individuals are currently residing in evacuation shelters, while another 54,274 have taken temporary refuge with family members and acquaintances outside designated evacuation sites.

Preliminary evaluations of the destruction show that 8,865 homes were completely ruined, while 36,691 others suffered partial damage.

Relief and rescue operations have faced significant challenges due to continuing aftershocks, structurally unsafe buildings, and damaged transportation routes, hindering aid teams' ability to access several affected communities.

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