The death toll from the 8 June magnitude 7.8 earthquake off Sarangani has risen to 61 as more than 724,000 people across Southern Mindanao continue to grapple with its aftermath, while fresh flooding triggered by heavy rains compounded damage in some of the hardest-hit communities.
The Office of Civil Defense (ocd) reported Sunday that about 173,000 families, or 724,000 individuals, have been affected by the earthquake. Authorities recorded 1,403 injured persons and 40 missing individuals.
Most of the fatalities were reported in Region 12, with 54 deaths, while seven were recorded in Region 11. Of the injured, 1,356 were from Region 12, 46 from Region 11, and one from the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
Around 2,000 families, or about 10,000 people, remain displaced. More than 1,000 families in Barangay Lagao, General Santos City, lost their homes.
Damage to infrastructure has reached P1 billion, according to the OCD. Initial assessments showed 725 damaged infrastructure facilities, while 9,900 houses were destroyed and another 44,100 were partially damaged. Thirteen cities and municipalities have declared a state of calamity.
The agency said P67.6 million worth of assistance has been distributed to affected families. More than 5,200 aftershocks have been recorded since the quake, including 76 that were felt.
Power up
The Department of Energy said power supply to hospitals affected by the earthquake has been restored.
Relief operations continued over the weekend as the Philippine Army’s Joint Task Force Agila assisted in the delivery and distribution of food, water and other aid in Sarangani Province and Davao Occidental.
Troops helped unload 1,000 food packs and 1,584 ready-to-eat food boxes at a Department of Social Welfare and Development warehouse in Malita, Davao Occidental. The Army also deployed a mobile kitchen and water purification system in Glan, Sarangani.
Vice President Sara Duterte visited General Santos City and parts of Sarangani to offer condolences to families who lost loved ones in the disaster and urged affected residents to remain hopeful and resilient.
Recovery efforts, however, suffered another setback after flash floods struck parts of Sarangani on 13 June following days of continuous rain.
Clearing ops
In Maasim, floodwaters damaged infrastructure already weakened by the earthquake, including a bridge in Barangay Lumasal. Transportation, access to government services and livelihoods were disrupted as authorities assessed the extent of the damage.
In neighboring Maitum, floodwaters rendered roads hazardous and caused power, telecommunications and internet outages.
Police personnel conducted clearing and assistance operations after a fallen tree blocked a roadway in Barangay Malalag amid knee-deep flooding.
