Jamaine Punzalan

Article (news)

Agence France-Presse

Bianca Dava

ABS-CBN News

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17812462765881781246270862.jpeg" style="width:960px;display:block;height:auto" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/>A responder prepares to take part in search and rescue operations outside a collapsed building after a 7.8 magnitude earthquake in General Santos City on June 9, 2026. Jam Sta. Rosa, AFP(UPDATED) Rescuers battling rain and aftershocks cleared roads and searched for the missing in the southern Philippines on Friday as the death toll from a major quake rose to 55. </div>The 7.8-magnitude tremor just off the coast of Mindanao on Monday brought down buildings and triggered landslides on the southern island while setting off tsunami warnings across the region.A government tally released Friday revealed eight additional deaths, while the number of missing stood at 31 as reports from local jurisdictions trickled in.According to Asec. Raffy Alejandro of the Office of Civil Defense, most of those missing are from Region 11, 12 (many from Glan, Sarangani). There are 86,135 families affected in 352 barangays in Regions 9,11, 12, and BARMM. 2,409 of the families are in 31 evacuation centers. In hard-hit Sarangani province, provincial disaster chief Rene Punzalan told AFP that 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. &quot;Aftershocks are still slowing us down, plus it also rained last night, so we have to stop the operation for a while,&quot; he said of operations in which backhoes were being used to remove large boulders. Punzalan added that while the search for the missing continued, there was little hope of finding survivors. &quot;Many days have passed since the earthquake, so it&#x27;s going to be a miracle if any of them can be rescued alive,&quot; he said. &quot;Our goal is just to retrieve their bodies.&quot; Alejandro, for his part, said General Santos remains closed to commercial flights and major ports such as GenSan and Glan remain non-operational. The Philippine Coast Guard and Philippine Navy are using sea vessels and choppers for humanitarian efforts. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Wednesday visited affected areas of General Santos, the affected area&#x27;s largest city, including a damaged school and an aid distribution area. He said the government would allot P100 million to rebuild the city hall. The powerful earthquake affected some 392,000 individuals or over 86,000 families across parts of the Zamboanga Peninsula, Davao Region, Soccsksargen, and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). Around 2,409 families or 10,783 individuals are staying in evacuation centers, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) said on Friday morning. “Sila pong lahat ay binibigyan ng tulong ng LGUs [local government units] and supported by our different national government agencies,” OCD Deputy Administrator for Administration Assistant Secretary Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro said. Alejandro noted that widespread damage to infrastructure continues to hamper relief efforts. Several airports and seaports remain non-operational, forcing responders to rely on military aircraft, helicopters, and government vessels to transport aid to isolated communities. OCD records showed that at least 19,095 houses sustained damage from the earthquake, including 3,485 that were totally destroyed. The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), together with partner agencies, has so far distributed more than P30 million worth of food, non-food items, and financial assistance to affected communities. “Tuluy-tuloy din ang medical support from the DOH [Department of Health],” Alejandro said. More than 3,700 personnel from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), Philippine National Police (PNP), and Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) have been deployed to support ongoing disaster response and recovery operations.<div> </div><div>RELATED VIDEO:</div><div><iframe width="960" height="540" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/j-BSvxAj--8?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe> </div>

Rescuers battling rain and aftershocks cleared roads and searched for the missing in the southern Philippines on Friday as the death toll from a major quake rose to 55.

Rescuers battling rain and aftershocks cleared roads and searched for the missing in the southern Philippines on Friday as the death toll from a major quake rose to 55.

Rain, aftershocks hamper rescuers as Mindanao quake toll hits 55

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Rain, aftershocks hamper rescuers as Mindanao quake toll hits 55

Agence France-Presse,

Bianca Dava,

ABS-CBN News

Published June 12, 2026 11:58 AM PHT

|

Updated June 20, 2026 09:24 AM PHT

Read More:

quake

earthquake

Mindanao quake

death toll

rescue

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