Philippine quake death toll reaches 55, search on for 38 missing

MANILA - At least 55 people were killed, 38 missing and 1,120 injured after a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck off the southern coast of Mindanao, the Philippines, on Monday, said the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) on Friday. According to the NDRRMC, the disaster affected more than 86,000 families involving over 390,000 people. Some 19,000 houses were damaged, and power supplies in 48 cities and municipalities were disrupted. Roads, bridges, airports, and seaport facilities sustained damage and were hampered in their operations. General Santos International Airport can accommodate military and humanitarian assistance flights while remaining close to commercial flights. A total of more than 3,700 personnel have been dispatched for search and rescue operations in hard-hit areas. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said the tectonic earthquake occurred at 7:37 a.m. local time at a depth of 33 km, with the epicenter 32 km southwest of the coast of Maasim town in Sarangani province on Mindanao Island. The institute said it recorded more than 3,860 aftershocks from the major tremor. The Philippines experiences frequent seismic activity due to its location along the Pacific "Ring of Fire," a zone of major tectonic plate boundaries known for earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.