MANILA, Philippines — Five days after a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck Mindanao, conflicting reports have emerged regarding the number of casualties, with the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) reporting a significantly higher death toll than the government's main disaster agency.
As of 6 a.m. Saturday, the OCD reported 61 deaths, 1,221 injuries, and 33 missing persons. However, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) lowered its validated death toll to 46, with 688 injured and 38 missing, following a verification process that eliminated duplicate or unverified entries. The discrepancy highlights the challenges of confirming field reports, with the OCD citing landslides and building collapses in General Santos City as primary causes of death.
The government validation process, which involves checking death certificates and medical records, found that the majority of confirmed deaths occurred in Region 12 (39) and Region 11 (7). Disaster officials warned that initial figures could change as search and retrieval operations continue.
Infrastructure damage
The earthquake severely damaged infrastructure, leaving 28 roads and nine bridges impassable in Regions 11 and 12. Over 19,000 houses have been damaged, with more than 3,000 totally destroyed.
Aftershocks and rain are still complicating recovery efforts. The situation was further complicated on Friday when a yacht carrying aid for earthquake victims caught fire off the coast of Glan, Sarangani, though all 42 on board were safely rescued.
Government response teams have been deployed across affected areas, with health authorities sending mental health support units and social welfare teams assisting displaced residents with food packs and temporary shelter.
Officials said relief operations would continue as assessments of infrastructure damage and casualty figures were further refined in the coming days.
