The death toll from the devastating magnitude 7.8 earthquake in Mindanao has climbed to 65, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) confirmed on Monday, June 15.
According to the latest situation update, the powerful tremor has also left 1,447 people injured, while 36 individuals remain missing.
OCD Deputy Administrator Assistant Secretary Raffy Alejandro noted that the high casualty count was largely caused by massive landslides triggered by the earthquake.
Data from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council’s (NDRRMC) seventh situational report reveals that the disaster has affected 176,186 families, translating to 736,386 individuals across the region.
Displacement numbers continue to rise, with 3,180 families, or 14,161 individuals, currently staying in 37 designated evacuation centers. Meanwhile, another 14,687 families, consisting of 59,013 people, are taking temporary shelter outside of formal evacuation sites.
Emergency teams are persisting with search, rescue, and relief operations, though their efforts are severely hampered by the ongoing threat of secondary landslides and continuous aftershocks.