Nineteen were reported dead following the devastating magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck Southern Mindanao on Monday, June 8, the Office of the Civil Defense (OCD) said.
In a report by RH 52 Edniel Parrosa, seven were reported missing, and 134 injured due to the quake.
According to Office of the Civil Defense (OCD) Spokesperson Junie Castillo, the Soccsksargen region is the most affected, logging 16 casualties. Hence, this is the area the office is primarily focused on.
In an interview in Camp Crame, the spokesperson said that casualties were caused only by collapsed buildings, fallen debris, and the landslide in South Cotabato and not the effects of a tsunami.
Apart from the hardest-hit Regions 12 and 11, among the areas affected by the quake are Region 9, or the Zamboanga Peninsula, and the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM)—confirming OCD Administrator Undersecretary Harold Cabreros earlier, separate statement.
Around 10,000 families were initially evacuated in Sultan Kudarat and Sarangani due to the tsunami warning, with 700 more adding to the count.
The local civil defense offices are continuously monitoring the extent and cost left by the powerful earthquake, which had been followed by over 180 aftershocks as of reporting
As of 3 p.m., several government officials from Metro Manila have arrived at Mindanao, among them Usec. Cabreros, to lead response operations on the ground.
Earlier, Castillo also said that the quake left extensive structural damage in Sarangani.
“Sa mga structural damage, nabanggit na nga kanina ‘yung GenSan International Airport, mayro’n din pong tower sa GenSan, and then mayro’n din pong doon sa Sarangani na mga facilities. Ganoon din sa iba pa pong lugar,” he added.
Based on the police’s initial assessment, one landslide area was logged, while a number of infrastructures were affected by the earthquake, including two schools, two hospitals, two residential houses, and 14 commercial establishments.
The OCD has not logged any significant tsunami effects, although it is currently verifying reports of rising water levels in some areas.
The police have deployed 390 search and rescue personnel, 23 mobile units, and 100 personnel to secure vital installations, as electricity and communication services were disrupted for some areas earlier, stated the OCD.
The OCD and the National Inter-Agency Coordinating Cell have raised a Red Alert following the quake.
