The Philippine National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council reported on the 10th that the 7.8-magnitude earthquake that struck the sea near Mindanao in southern Philippines on the 8th has resulted in at least 45 deaths, 487 injuries, and 17 people missing.
The report stated that the earthquake has affected over 33,000 families, totaling nearly 150,000 people, and more than 41,000 disaster victims have been forced to relocate and find shelter. A total of 238 facilities, including hospitals, schools, and bridges, have been damaged, and nearly 3,000 houses have been destroyed.
The report pointed out that when the earthquake struck, most areas of Mindanao and parts of central Philippines felt strong tremors. Over 1,700 aftershocks have been detected following the quake.
Rescue operations have been severely hampered because there were 1,055 aftershocks in the disaster area over the past 24 hours, with the strongest reaching a magnitude of 6.7. In Sarangani Province, which is adjacent to General Santos City and about 32 kilometers from the epicenter, some areas remain accessible only by helicopter.
Both General Santos City and Sarangani Province have declared a state of calamity and have urgently deployed local disaster relief funds.
Outside a hospital in General Santos City, doctors have set up several makeshift tents as temporary wards to deliver babies for pregnant women. In Glan, at least 13 people were buried at home due to landslides; the main building of a local hospital was declared unsafe, forcing medical staff to move more than 60 patients, along with their beds, to an open area outside the hospital overnight.