Philippines quake toll reaches 37 as rescuers search collapsed building

Rescuers on Tuesday continued searching through the rubble of a collapsed building in General Santos, the southern Philippine city hardest hit by a powerful earthquake that has killed at least 37 people and injured hundreds.

The 7.8-magnitude quake struck early on Monday about 20 kilometres off the coast of Sarangani province, triggering tsunami warnings across several countries. Tremors were felt strongly across Mindanao and as far away as Manado, about 420 kilometres away on Indonesia’s Sulawesi island.

In General Santos, rescue teams were working to reach two people still believed to be trapped inside a collapsed commercial building that housed a grocery store and other businesses.

Regional fire officer Edgar Tanawan, who is leading the operation, told Reuters that two people had been pulled out alive from the building, while a third was found dead. Scanners had so far detected no signs of life from the two people still missing inside, he added.

“It’s difficult to accept, as a mother, that my son is still trapped there,” said Dioslinda Deluvio, 65, as she waited outside the building for news of her son.

“I don’t know… it’s very hard to accept. My only call is to have him retrieved today so we can be at peace,” she said.

Officials said they hoped the death toll would not rise further as search-and-rescue operations continued. More than 400 people were injured, while four remained missing.

General Santos under state of calamity

Scenes of heavy damage were visible in parts of General Santos, a city of more than 700,000 people that has now been placed under a state of calamity.

Several buildings collapsed, while debris was scattered across streets beneath fallen power lines and utility poles.

Philippine disaster officials were inspecting damaged buildings, assessing the scale of destruction and working to restore power and water services for thousands of affected residents.

The quake came eight months after the Philippines suffered its deadliest tremor in 12 years, when a shallow 6.9-magnitude earthquake struck off the central island of Cebu, killing 79 people.

Schools and hospitals affected

The Philippines experiences hundreds of earthquakes each year and lies on the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, a highly active seismic belt stretching from South America to the Russian Far East.

Schools, which had just reopened on Monday after a long break, remained closed as authorities checked the safety of buildings. Thousands of school buildings sustained damage ranging from minor to severe, Rafaelito Alejandro, head of the Office of Civil Defence, told DZBB radio.

A video shared by one school showed children sitting on the floor as the building shook violently. Some were seen holding on to teachers before fleeing as a temporary shelter collapsed behind them.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology recorded 23 strong aftershocks, with the strongest measuring magnitude 6.7. The tremors forced some residents to spend the night in evacuation centres and tents.

In General Santos and Sarangani, patients were treated in temporary tents while officials checked whether hospitals were safe to use, Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa told DZBB.

He said restoring electricity was critical, as power outages were limiting access to sensitive and specialised treatments needed by patients.

Source: Reuters