Reported death toll in magnitude 7.8 Mindanao earthquake climbs to 61

The reported death toll in the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck parts of Mindanao on June 8 has reached 61, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) said Saturday.

"As of 6:00 this morning, nasa 61 ang reported na dead casualty. Ongoing pa ang validation (the validation is ongoing)," OCD Assistant Secretary and Deputy Administrator Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro IV said in an interview on Dobol B TV.

"Bina-validate na lang ang mga pangalan nila [mga napaulat nasawi] (Their names are being validated) but we have the numbers already at may mga katawan na ito (the bodies were found)... We already accounted for the bodies nitong 61," he said.

The number of missing persons went down to 33, while those injured numbered 1,221, he added.

"'Yung ating missing, from 40, bumaba ng 33 kasi vina-validate at baka nahanap na at napunta sa dead casualty," Alejandro said.

(Those missing, from 40 it went down to 33 because these were validated and some may have been found and added to the number of dead casualties.)

"In terms of injured, halos mayroon na tayong 1,221 na nai-report. Sinama na ng DOH (Department of Health) 'yung mga nagpakonsulta, 'yung mga nahilo...Sinama sa count na injured. Sa Region 12, mayroon halos 532 na na-report... Karamihan mga estudyante na nahilo, nagkaroon ng trauma at pumunta sa DOH para i-report," he said.

(In terms of injured, the reported number is 1,221. The DOH added those who sought consultation for dizziness. They were included among the injured. In Region 12, 532 were reported, mostly students who got dizzy and had trauma and went to DOH to report.)

Alejandro said the cause of death of the victims are earthquake-induced landslides and falling debris. Most of those who died due to falling debris were reported in General Santos City, while victims who died due to landslides were in Jose Abad Santos and Sarangani Island in Davao Occidental.

Search operations continue since many are still missing in Sarangani and Jose Abad Santos, he said.

"Mayroon pa tayong mga reported na missing... Marami sa mga missing ay sa Sarangani at sa Jose Abad Santos, na medyo hirap puntahan dahil sa road networks na mayroong mga landslide," he added.

(There are still those reported missing... Many of them are in Sarangani and Jose Abad Santos, which are hard to reach due to landslides that blocked road networks.)

Alejandro said they also had difficulty in communications because the generator sets in some areas ran out of gasoline after two to three days.

"Nagkaproblema sa komunikasyon dahil 'yung mga emergency telecomms natin na nagre-rely lang din sa generator set, after 2-3 days, wala nang supply kaya nagpadala pa kami ng gasolina," he said.

(We encountered problems in communication because the emergency telecomms relied on generator sets. After 2-3 days, their gasoline ran out so we had to send gasoline to them.)

"Dalawa ang natutukan natin na lugar, itong Jose Abad Santos at Glan na medyo na-isolate in the first 72 hours in terms of road network. Kaya helicopter at barko ang ginagamit natin," Alejandro said.

(There were two areas we focused on -- Jose Abad Santos [in Davao Occidental] and Glan [in Sarangani] which got isolated in the first 72 hours in terms of road network. We had to use helicopters and ships.)

For the last three days, rescue personnel focused on Sarangani Island, Balut Island, Jose Abad Santos all in Davao Occidental, and Glan in Sarangani Province.

"Tatlong lugar ang natutukan natin for the last 3 days, itong Sarangani Island, kasama ang Balut Island, Jose Abad Santos at itong Glan na nasa southernmost part ng area na tinamaan ng landslide," the OCD official said.

(In the last three days, three areas were zeroed in -- Sarangani Island including Balut Island, Jose Abad Santos, and Glan which is on the southernmost part of the area hit by landslide.)

The OCD is pushing to bring water, food, and housing materials including tents to the ground zero of the earthquake -- Glan in Sarangani and Jose Abad Santos in Davao Occidental and General Santos City, Alejandro said.

The goods from Manila are loaded onto C-130 and C-295 aircraft of the Philippine Air Force, as well as assets of the Philippine Navy and Philippine Coast Guard, then are brought by helicopters and sea vessels to Glan and Balut Island, he added. Armed Forces units and military trucks are also on the ground to bring the essential goods to the earthquake-affected communities.

"We are bringing in goods from DSWD... Nagpadala na rin kami ng water filtration units. 'Yung housing materials ay gine-generate para mabigyan ang affected LGUs. We are bringing in tents pati na rin tarpaulins na kailangan din for temporary shelter," Alejandro said.

(We also brought water filtration units. We are generating housing materials to give to affected LGUs. We are bringing in tents and tarpaulins which are also used for temporary shelter.)

The OCD official said the airport at General Santos City is still closed for commercial operations but is open for humanitarian operations for the delivery of relief goods.

The magnitude 7.8 earthquake hit offshore Maasim, Sarangani at 7:37 a.m. on June 8.

Intensity VII was felt in General Santos City.

Almost 4,000 aftershocks were recorded by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology as of Friday. —KG, GMA News