In General Santos, Philippines, rescuers diligently searched through the remains of a collapsed building on Tuesday. The southern city faced severe consequences from a powerful earthquake that claimed at least 37 lives and left hundreds injured. At the heart of the search efforts, regional fire officer Edgar Tanawan informed Reuters that they successfully rescued two individuals from a commercial building containing a grocery store and various businesses. Unfortunately, a third person was discovered dead.
Despite the use of scanners, no signs of life were found for the two individuals believed to be trapped. Dioslinda Deluvio, a distraught mother, awaited any news regarding her son trapped inside. She expressed her anguish, sharing, “It’s difficult to accept, as a mother, that my son is still trapped there. My only call is to have him retrieved today so we can be at peace.”
The earthquake registered a magnitude of 7.8, triggering tsunami warnings across several nations. It hit early Monday, about 12 miles offshore from Sarangani province. Tremors were felt across Mindanao and extended to Manado, 260 miles away on Sulawesi, Indonesia. Officials remain hopeful the death toll won’t increase, though over 400 people were injured, and four remain missing.
General Santos, with its population of more than 700,000, endured visible devastation. The city declared a state of calamity. Many buildings collapsed and debris scattered streets, tangled with fallen power lines. Philippine disaster officials worked to restore power and water, essential for thousands affected by the calamity.
Damage assessments were underway as the quake struck eight months after the country faced its deadliest earthquake in 12 years. The previous tremor, a 6.9 magnitude quake, struck the central island of Cebu, causing 79 fatalities. The Philippines, located on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” routinely experiences seismic activity.
As schools had reopened just Monday, they closed again for safety inspections. Many sustained varying degrees of damage, according to Rafaelito Alejandro, head of the office of civil defense. On Tuesday, DZBB radio affirmed this report. A rescue dog named Ceedee assisted rescuers searching for people trapped beneath the rubble.
A recorded video at a school captured the chaotic scene as the earthquake struck. Children sitting on a floor swayed violently before they fled while a makeshift shelter collapsed.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) reported 23 substantial aftershocks, the most powerful being a 6.7 magnitude quake. These tremors prompted evacuees to spend nights in temporary shelters. Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa noted that patients were being treated in makeshift tents. Ensuring hospitals’ safety remained crucial, and restoring power was a key concern to facilitate necessary medical treatments hampered by outages.