Jauhn Etienne Villaruel

A responder carries a rescue dog while conducting search and rescue operations in a collapsed building after a 7.8 magnitude earthquake in General Santos City on June 9, 2026. A 7.8-magnitude earthquake in the southern Philippines on June 8 killed at least 35 people, according to provincial authorities, after toppling buildings and sparking tsunami warnings across the region. (Photo by Jam STA ROSA / AFP)

Article (news)

Michael Delizo

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1781671834761Screen Shot 2026-06-17 at 12.50.22 PM.png" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">A responder carries a rescue dog while conducting search and rescue operations in a collapsed building after a 7.8 magnitude earthquake in General Santos City on June 9, 2026.<em> Jam Sta Rosa/AFP/File</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — The death toll from last week’s destructive magnitude 7.8 earthquake in parts of Mindanao has risen to 68, as authorities continue to search for dozens who are believed to have been buried by landslides, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported Wednesday.</p><p>In the badly hit Soccsksargen region, 33 deaths were logged in Sarangani province, while 24 were recorded in South Cotabato.</p><p>The Davao region, meanwhile, recorded 10 deaths in Davao Occidental and one in Davao del Sur.</p><p>Meantime, the number of missing persons has gone down to 33 from 36 last Monday.</p><p>According to Office of Civil Defense Deputy Administrator Raffy Alejandro, most of the fatalities were caused by landslides and falling debris, particularly in Davao Occidental and Sarangani provinces, as well as General Santos City in South Cotabato.</p><p>Alejandro said responders can no longer detect signs of life in the landslide areas.</p><p>“Mahirap po kasi kung makapunta kayo doon, it’s really bundok at ang dami pong landslide talaga na nangyari. But we’re trying hard na ma-recover itong mga bodies na ito,” he said.</p><p>In one sitio in Davao Occidental, responders have paused search operations after determining that there were likely no more survivors, allowing resources to be redirected to other response efforts.</p><p>“I was there…sa Jose Abad Santos – isang area doon ay nag-call off na ang search and rescue kasi nga napakalaki, bundok kasi talaga ‘yong bumaba na landslide. So, it’s very hard. Hindi po maka-akyat ‘yong mga equipment at talagang mano-mano,” Alejandro said.</p><p>The magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck 32 kilometers southwest of Maasim, Sarangani, at 7:37 a.m. on June 8, triggering aftershocks across parts of the populous Mindanao island.</p><p>The quake toppled infrastructure and caused landslides, injuring at least 1,339 persons, as per the NDRRMC’s latest report.</p><p>The number of houses totally damaged reached 13,652, while 60,281 more were partially damaged.</p><p>At least 339,254 families, or 1,417,078 persons, were affected, while 4,464 families, or 19,791 persons, were displaced and served inside 45 evacuation centers.</p><p>The cost of damage to agriculture reached P29.8 million in Davao del Norte and Davao del Sur.</p><p>About 14 municipalities in the provinces of Davao Occidental, Sarangani, and South Cotabato have declared a state of calamity.</p><p>The government has provided P160.9 million in assistance to affected families, while P8.1 million has been extended to local government units and municipalities.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4qt1oVx-mzs?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

Death toll from Mindanao quake rises to 68 as 33 remain missing

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Death toll from Mindanao quake rises to 68 as 33 remain missing

Michael Delizo,

ABS-CBN News

Published June 17, 2026 12:56 PM PHT

Read More:

Mindanao

earthquake

Office of Civil Defense

NDRRMC

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