- Monday’s earthquake in the Philippines left 37 dead and hundreds injured.
- The earthquake severely damaged infrastructure in Mindanao, including the airport in General Santos.
- Classes are suspended in thousands of schools.
The number of victims of Monday’s strong earthquake in the Philippines has risen to 37, and as of Tuesday morning, the authorities have recorded 500 injured and four missing. On Tuesday, the DPA agency reported on this with reference to the local office for emergency situations, writes TASR.
As many as 18 people were killed in landslides triggered by the tremors in Sarangani province and 12 in General Santos city, which was hit hardest by the quake. Four victims are also reported from Davao region and three from South Cotabato province. All the mentioned provinces are located in Mindanao, the second largest island of the Philippines. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology recorded a total of 1,100 aftershocks, with the strongest at magnitude 6.7.
An earthquake with a magnitude of 7.8 hit the island country on the first day of the new school year. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said more than 3.2 million schoolchildren were affected. “Teaching remains suspended in more than 6,200 public and private schools pending security assessments,” OCHA said.
They also report extensive material damage in Mindanao. Infrastructure, including roads and bridges, is damaged in many places. The international airport in General Santos was also affected, where, according to Transport Minister Giovanni Lopez, the tremors damaged the control tower and terminals. Therefore, the airport remains closed even though its runways were not damaged by the tremors. They expect the resumption of operations for commercial flights within one week.
