MANILA, Philippines – At least 37 people died due to the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck off the coast of Sarangani, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said in its update on Tuesday morning, June 9.
The NDRRMC also said 479 were injured and four people were still missing.
Davao Region recorded four deaths and 23 injured while Soccskargen counted 33 deaths, 456 injured, and four missing.
More than 19,000 families have been affected by the quake, as per NDRRMC’s latest situational report. Around 5,000 families are in evacuation centers.
The Philippine Coast guard deployed 150 responders to General Santos City on Tuesday to retrieve trapped survivors in collapsed buildings and search for missing individuals.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) recorded occurrence of tsunami in Sarangani, Sultan Kudarat, Zamboanga City, Davao Oriental, and Surigao del Sur. Phivolcs has lifted all tsunami warnings on June 8.
The quake coincided with the opening of classes on Monday, prompting class suspensions in affected areas. – Rappler.com