Rescuers battling relentless rain and a barrage of aftershocks cleared debris-strewn roads and continued a grim search for the missing in the southern Philippines on Friday, as the official death toll from a powerful earthquake rose to 55.
The 7.8-magnitude tremor, which struck just off the coast of Mindanao on Monday, toppled buildings and triggered landslides, while briefly setting off tsunami warnings across the region.
A government tally released Friday confirmed eight additional fatalities, bringing the total to 55. The number of missing persons stood at 31, as reports from remote local jurisdictions slowly filtered in.
Helicopters Deliver Aid to Cut-Off Communities
In the hard-hit province of Sarangani, disaster response teams reported progress in clearing vital transport arteries, though many residents remain isolated.
“Many of the blocked roads had been cleared, but helicopters were still being employed to take food and water to cut-off residents who remained without power,” provincial disaster chief Rene Punzalan told AFP.
Punzalan detailed the treacherous conditions hampering the operation, where heavy machinery is being used to remove massive boulders.
“Aershocks are still slowing us down, plus it also rained last night, so we have to stop the operation for a while,” he said.
Hopes for Survivors Fading
As the critical 72-hour window for finding survivors has long passed, officials are tempering expectations. The search and rescue mission is increasingly shifting to a recovery operation.
“Many days have passed since the earthquake, so it’s going to be a miracle if any of them can be rescued alive,” Punzalan stated. “Our goal is just to retrieve their bodies.”
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos on Wednesday toured the affected areas in General Santos, the largest city in the disaster zone. His itinerary included a visit to a damaged school and an aid distribution center.
In a commitment to reconstruction, the president announced that the government would allot 100 million pesos ($1.6 million) to rebuild the city hall.
