The number of fatalities recorded from a magnitude 7.8 earthquake in Sarangani Province on Monday morning reached at least 19, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).
In its latest report issued around 4 p.m., the NDRRMC said that of the 19 deaths, 16 were reported in Soccsksargen (Region XII) and three in Davao Region (XI).
The agency further stated that of the 16 fatalities recorded in Soccsksargen, 10 were from General Santos City, 3 were from Glan, Sarangani, 2 were from Tupi, South Cotabato, and 1 was from Malapatan, Sarangani.
Meanwhile, the major tremor also injured 134 individuals — 129 in Soccsksargen and five in the Davao Region.
Aside from this, the agency reported 12 individuals missing in General Santos City following the earthquake.
The NDRRMC noted that the numbers reported “are all still for validation.”
It was 7:37 a.m. this Monday when the magnitude 7.8 earthquake, initially reported as magnitude 7.0, struck Maasim, Sarangani, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs).
Over 6,000 schools in Mindanao were affected, and several flights have been cancelled due to the earthquake.