Philippines quake death toll rises to 78; at least 30 still missing

At least 78 people have been killed and 30 others remain missing after a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck off Sarangani province in the southern Philippines on June 8, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), which provided the update on Thursday, News.Az reports, citing Xinhua.

The NDRRMC said the earthquake has affected more than 357,000 families, or around 1.5 million people. Among those affected, approximately 5,500 families—nearly 22,000 individuals—are currently staying in 47 evacuation centres.

The council also reported that about 74,700 houses were damaged, including 13,700 that were classified as “totally damaged.” In addition, 774 infrastructure facilities sustained damage, with total losses estimated at 1.29 billion pesos (around 21.3 million U.S. dollars). Agricultural damage has been assessed at 29.8 million pesos, the agency added.

According to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, the tectonic earthquake struck at 7:37 a.m. local time on June 8 at a depth of 33 kilometres. The epicentre was located 32 kilometres southwest of the coast of Maasim town in Sarangani province on Mindanao island.

Authorities noted that the Philippines is highly prone to seismic activity due to its location along the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” a region defined by active tectonic plate boundaries that frequently generate earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

News.Az 

By Nijat Babayev