Death toll from M7.8 Mindanao quake rises to 61
Thirty-three remain missing, more than 1,200 are injured, and evacuations are slowed by aftershocks and damaged roads.
The death toll from the magnitude 7.8 quake off the coast of Mindanao in southern Philippines rose to 61 by Saturday. The Office of Civil Defense reported 33 people were still missing and 1,221 others were injured, while emergency teams kept searching for victims in areas buried by landslides and building debris. General Santos and parts of Sarangani Province were among the hardest hit. Rescue efforts were hampered by thousands of aftershocks, unstable buildings, rain and damaged roads. Philippine disaster response data showed more than 553,000 people were affected, about 9.393 were sheltering in evacuation centers, and tens of thousands more were staying with relatives or friends. Damage also spread to homes, schools, hospitals, airports, ports and bridges.