Philippines earthquake death toll rises to 53

The death toll from a powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck off the coast of Mindanao in southern Philippines earlier this week rose to 53, disaster officials said on Wednesday.

The Bureau of Fire Protection spokesperson Fire Superintendent Anthony Arroyo said 53 bodies have been recovered so far, with some of them yet to be identified, GMA News Online reported.

Earlier reports said rescue teams were also searching for 17 missing people.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council announced that 487 people have been reported injured, local media outlet Philstar reported.

Of the confirmed fatalities, 33 were recorded in Region 12 and 12 in Region 11, although authorities said the figures remain subject to verification.

The earthquake, which occurred at 7.37 a.m. local time Monday (2337GMT Sunday) off the coast of Sarangani province, caused widespread damage across parts of Mindanao, toppling buildings, disrupting power and water services, and triggering landslides in several areas.

Search, rescue, and retrieval operations are ongoing across affected areas, raising the possibility that casualty numbers could increase further.

The earthquake triggered at least 10 landslides, including several in the southern regions of Mindanao.

In Sarangani, 13 residents of Barangay New Aklan were reportedly buried when a landslide struck the community.

Authorities are also investigating reports that an entire village may have been buried, though related fatalities have yet to be confirmed.

The disaster caused widespread damage to infrastructure. Officials reported damage to 18 bridges, 41 roads, and 238 public facilities, with several transport routes remaining impassable.

Power outages have affected around 130,000 consumers, while hospitals continue operating under difficult conditions, treating patients in tents because of aftershocks and structural concerns.

More than 149,000 people have been affected by the disaster, including over 41,000 displaced residents. Nearly 3,000 homes were damaged.

The Department of Education said the earthquake affected around 6,224 schools, more than 3.2 million students, and about 128,000 teachers and school personnel.

The government said emergency assistance worth 4.8 million pesos ($78,080) has been distributed, as relief efforts continue across the quake-hit region.