Doctors in the Philippines continued treating patients in makeshift outdoor facilities on Tuesday, including assisting a woman who gave birth in a tent, as the death toll from the powerful 7.8-magnitude earthquake that struck Mindanao climbed above 40.
According to national and local disaster agencies, more than 450 people were injured and thousands displaced by Mondayâs quake. While only four people remain missing, rescue operations have been hampered by ongoing aftershocks and damaged infrastructure.
Officials said some of the worst-affected areas in Sarangani province can currently only be reached by helicopter. Concerns over continuing tremors have also slowed rescue efforts.
âThere are still aftershocks, so the rescuers are very cautious in their approach. Thatâs a challenge,â said regional civil defence chief Rodrigo Sosmena.
Numerous aftershocks followed the initial earthquake, including several strong tremors within hours of the main shock. Damaged roads and a collapsed bridge have left some communities cut off, with authorities estimating that access may not be restored for at least a week.
At a hospital near General Santos City, AFP journalists witnessed a woman giving birth outdoors behind a temporary screen. In Glan municipality, where a landslide buried at least 13 residents in their homes, hospital staff moved more than 60 patients outside due to concerns about the buildingâs safety.
âThe hospital sustained a lot of damage,â a staff member said.
âThe municipal engineer decided we could not use the building.â
Provincial authorities reported 41 fatalities by Tuesday morning.
Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar expressed condolences over the disaster, saying he was âdeeply saddened by the devastating earthquake in Mindanao, Philippines, which has resulted in the tragic loss of precious lives and caused widespread damageâ.
He extended sympathies to the victimsâ families, wished the injured a swift recovery, and reaffirmed Pakistanâs âfull solidarityâ with the government and people of the Philippines.
Rescue teams also resumed operations at a collapsed grocery store in General Santos, where two employees remained trapped beneath the rubble. Search dogs and rescue personnel combed through debris, though local responders indicated the mission had largely shifted from rescue to recovery.
Elsewhere, Coast Guard crews searched for two swimmers who disappeared after the quake churned coastal waters near a beach resort.
Verified videos shared on social media showed extensive destruction, including the collapse of a shopping centre housing a Jollibee restaurant in General Santos and the destruction of an empty school building. Another verified video captured terrified schoolchildren clinging to teachers as the ground shook violently.
The earthquake prompted tsunami warnings and evacuations across coastal areas of the southern Philippines and parts of Indonesia. However, authorities later lifted all alerts after the threat subsided. In Japan, tsunami waves reaching the Pacific coast measured no more than 20 centimetres.
The latest disaster comes less than three years after eastern Mindanao was struck by two strong earthquakes measuring 7.4 and 6.7 in magnitude, which left at least eight people dead.
