Rescue teams in the Philippines are racing to reach survivors after a powerful 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck the country's south, killing at least 37 people and injuring 400.
The quake struck at 7:40 a.m. local time (23:40 GMT Sunday), about 20 km off the coast of Sarangani province. Tremors were felt as far away as Manado city on Indonesia's Sulawesi Island, some 420 km away. A series of strong aftershocks followed within two hours, the largest reaching 6.5 magnitude, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
General Santos City, home to about 720,000 people, suffered the heaviest damage. At least 13 people died there due to collapsed buildings and falling debris. At least 18 others died in Sarangani province, mostly in a landslide that buried homes in the town of Glan. Other fatalities were reported in South Cotabato, Davao Occidental and Balut Island.
In General Santos, rescuers are searching for two people believed still trapped inside a collapsed commercial building. Two survivors were pulled from the rubble, but a third was found dead. Scanners detected no signs of life from the remaining victims. "It is hard to accept, as a mother, that my son is still trapped there. My only plea is to get him out today so we can have peace of mind," said Dioslinda Deluvio, mother of one of the victims.
General Santos City has been placed under a state of calamity, with many buildings collapsed, streets littered with debris, and power lines down. About 2,000 homes and 117 government buildings were damaged across the provinces. General Santos International Airport remains closed, forcing the cancellation of 63 domestic flights.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said emergency agencies have been activated. "The national government is acting and we will not abandon Mindanao," he said. Parts of Sarangani province are only accessible by helicopter, and rescue efforts have been slowed by fears of aftershocks. About 6,000 public school buildings need assessment before classes can resume.
