MANILA — Philippine authorities on Friday continued assessing damage and coordinating relief efforts across Mindanao after a powerful offshore earthquake struck the southern island earlier this week, killing dozens of people, damaging infrastructure and displacing thousands of residents, according to disaster management officials.
The magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck off Sarangani province on June 8 and was felt across much of Mindanao and parts of the central Philippines, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology and the Office of Civil Defense (OCD). Authorities initially issued tsunami warnings in parts of the region before later lifting them.
On Friday, the OCD said the reported death toll had risen to 55, with more than 1,100 people reported injured and 31 others missing. The figures remained subject to verification as search, rescue and recovery operations continued.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said more than 346,000 people had been affected across the Davao Region, Soccsksargen, the Zamboanga Peninsula and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. Thousands of residents remained in evacuation centers or temporary shelters.
Officials reported damage to homes, schools, hospitals, roads, bridges and power infrastructure. The Office of Civil Defense said structural damage assessments were continuing in several provinces, while government agencies inspected critical facilities and transportation links.
“Assessment and rescue operations continue,” OCD officials said after placing the national disaster response system under Full Red Alert following the earthquake.
Search-and-rescue teams remained active in some of the hardest-hit areas, including parts of Sarangani province, General Santos City and neighboring communities, where landslides and collapsed structures complicated recovery efforts. Authorities have also reported hundreds of aftershocks since the main quake.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has directed government agencies to provide assistance to affected communities and support restoration efforts, according to officials. State-of-calamity declarations have been issued in several localities, including Davao Occidental, General Santos City and municipalities in Sarangani province, enabling local governments to access emergency funds and resources.
The Philippines lies along the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” a seismically active region where earthquakes and volcanic activity are common. Disaster management officials said damage assessments, aid distribution and verification of casualty figures were continuing on Friday, while residents in affected areas were urged to remain alert for additional aftershocks.
