Sarangani quake death toll rises anew

The death toll from the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck off Maasim, Sarangani, earlier this month has risen to 81, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported Friday.
The NDRRMC said 31 people remain missing following the 8 June quake, which has affected 382,269 families, or more than 1.63 million individuals, across 620 villages.
It added that the affected areas span Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, Soccsksargen, and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
A total of 1,315 people were reported injured. Agency officials noted that most of the reported casualties are still undergoing official validation.
According to the latest NDRRMC situational report released Friday morning, nearly 87,000 individuals remain displaced.
This includes 23,568 people staying in 63 evacuation centers, while another 63,351 are taking temporary shelter with relatives or friends.
To recall, the earthquake caused widespread destruction, damaging 87,058 homes, of which 15,429 were completely destroyed.
Infrastructure damage has reached P1.356 billion, affecting 912 facilities across the southern regions. The agency reported that 127 road sections and 47 bridges were hit by the quake, with 15 roads and eight bridges remaining impassable.
State seismologists have recorded 10,109 aftershocks since the initial earthquake, including 106 that were strong enough to be felt. The strongest aftershock measured magnitude 6.4.
