As of 2 p.m. on Monday, 258 aftershocks were recorded following a highly destructive magnitude 7.8 earthquake that hit General Santos, Mindanao.

In an exclusive interview on Balansyado, Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Spokesperson Junie Castillo added that these aftershocks ranged from magnitudes 1.3 to 6.7.

“As of kanina po, mga 2 p.m., mayroon nang naitala na 258 aftershocks. Nagra-range pa ito ng 1.3 to 6.7 na magnitude,” he told the anchors.

He advised locals to stay vigilant and refrain from returning to buildings that have not undergone a structural integrity assessment after the powerful quake.

“Kaya po sa mga kababayan natin, ‘yun ‘yung paalala natin, na maging alerto po dito sa mga nangyayaring aftershocks. Kapagka wala pa pong assessment doon sa mga gusali, o sa mga lugar, o sa mga kabahayan po ano, ay huwag po munang babalik doon sa loob nung mga gusali na ‘yun hanggang walang structural integrity assessment,” he appealed.

As of the 6:00 p.m. interview, the death toll still sits at 19, with six missing and 147 injured, Castillo said, although this information has yet to be verified.

Additionally, 10,000 families have been evacuated due to earlier tsunami warnings. The OCD is confirming whether these families have returned to their homes since the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) withdrew the warning.

Castillo also disclosed that approximately 700 families were affected by the quake.

The hardest-hit areas include Sarangani, Davao Occidental, and some coastal areas in Sultan Kudarat, he said.

“Sa ngayon ang tinitingnan natin ay ‘yung mga lugar na: Sarangani, General Santos City, ganoon din po ‘yung Davao Occidental at tsaka some coastal areas po sa Sultan Kudarat,” the spokesperson said.

The devastating earthquake rattled Southern Mindanao at 7:37 a.m. on June 8, leaving extensive damages in infrastructure and fatalities caused by collapsed buildings, fallen debris, and a landslide in South Cotabato, according to an earlier report by RH 52 Edniel Parrosa.