Death toll climbs to 61 after powerful earthquake hits southern Philippines

The death toll from a powerful earthquake that struck the southern Philippines earlier this week has risen to 61, authorities said Saturday, as search and rescue teams continued operations in the hardest-hit areas of Mindanao.

The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) said deaths increased after additional bodies were recovered in affected areas.

The GMA News broadcaster said 33 people are missing while 1,221 have been injured.

Authorities indicated that search, rescue and retrieval operations are ongoing as emergency crews continue to look for survivors and recover victims trapped by landslides and collapsed structures.

The Disaster Response Operations Monitoring and Information Center (DROMIC) reported that the earthquake affected 553,068 people in the Mindanao region.

About 9,393 people are staying in evacuation centers, while 54,274 have sought temporary shelter with relatives and friends outside official evacuation facilities, according to the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

Initial damage assessments indicate that 8,865 houses were destroyed and 36,691 sustained partial damage.

Rescue efforts have been hampered by aftershocks, unstable buildings and damaged roads, making it difficult for aid workers to reach some affected communities.

The magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck off the coast of Mindanao earlier this week, triggering widespread panic and causing extensive damage to homes, schools, hospitals and public infrastructure.

General Santos City and parts of Sarangani province are among the worst-hit areas, prompting authorities to declare states of calamity to accelerate relief and recovery efforts.