Philippine authorities have updated this Wednesday the death toll from the magnitude 7.8 earthquake on the open Richter scale that shook the island of Mindanao, in the south of the country, raising the number of dead to 45 and the injured to 487, while the number of missing people remains at 17.
The latest report from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) details that 33 of the fatalities were registered in the Soccsksargen region, while 12 deaths were recorded in Davao, as one of the agency's spokespersons specified at a press conference.
The earthquake, which occurred this past Monday, has affected 33,596 families in Mindanao and nearby areas, totaling 149,372 people, and has caused damage to nearly 3,000 homes. In addition, thousands of citizens remain housed in evacuation centers while search and rescue operations continue, according to information published by the newspaper "The Philippine Star".
The Philippine Coast Guard has reinforced its deployment on the ground this Wednesday by sending 150 personnel and two search and rescue trained dogs, with the aim of intensifying tasks in the city of General Santos.
According to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), the epicenter of the earthquake was located 32 kilometers west of Maasim, in the province of Sarangani, and caused the collapse of several bridges, as well as damage of varying degrees to infrastructure, roads, homes, and even the General Santos airport.
The Philippines is located in the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, an area where around 90% of the planet's earthquakes originate. In September 2025, nearly 70 people died and about 150 were injured as a result of another magnitude 6.9 earthquake on the open Richter scale recorded in Cebu, in the central part of the archipelago.