At least 15 dead, 129 injured in powerful Philippines quake

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Manila: The death toll from the magnitude-7.8 earthquake now stands at 15, WAM reported citing officials from the Philippine Office of Civil Defence. This recent Philippines quake has raised serious concerns among authorities and residents.

As per WAM, local Civil Defence Office Director Rodrigo Sosmena said that 12 of the fatalities were reported in Soccsksargen. This region spans four provinces and one city: South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, and General Santos City.

At least 129 people were reportedly injured in the region, he added. The Philippines quake has affected thousands of families throughout the area.

On Monday, the Philippine News Agency (PNA) reported, citing the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), that Secretary Rex Gatchalian has ordered immediate coordination with local government units. Moreover, over 1.1 million boxes of family food packs (FFPs) in Mindanao are available for augmentation to affected families and individuals.

The DSWD’s Disaster Response Management Group (DRMG) has also reported that as of June 2, there are 4.7 million FFPs prepositioned nationwide. These are available for immediate release during disasters and emergencies, as noted by PNA. Certainly, the government response to the Philippines quake has been swift and thorough.

He further noted that the Quick Response Teams (QRTs) of DSWD FOs are also on standby. Additionally, they are continuously monitoring and coordinating with LGUs for possible resource augmentation.

“DSWD is more than ready to provide immediate response by supporting the needs of the affected families in the entire Mindanao. In fact, we have directed all Field Offices to coordinate closely with the LGUs and deploy social workers in designated evacuation centres to work with the local social workers,” he said.

Gatchalian also ordered the concerned FOs to deploy their mobile command centres, mobile kitchens, and other needed equipment and resources.

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Meanwhile, the Philippine National Police shared updates from its press conference conducted earlier today and provided the latest update on the 7.8 magnitude earthquake. This underscores the PNP’s continued readiness and coordination with concerned agencies in times of emergencies. Importantly, updates about the Philippines quake are ongoing.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos said on Monday morning that emergency agencies had been activated. These include the Office of Civil Defence and the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.

The country’s authorities said people in nine provinces – including Sarangani, Davao Occidental, Tawi-Tawi and Sulu – should immediately evacuate to higher ground or further inland. This was reported by Al Jazeera.

Evacuation orders were also issued in Indonesia for parts of northern Sulawesi, northern Gorontalo province and the Sangihe Islands. The residents were urged to move to higher ground.

Al Jazeera further reported that officials in Japan, the Philippines, and Indonesia have issued alerts warning of hazardous waves. They are also advising citizens in coastal areas to get to safety.

The US-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said earlier that tsunami waves as high as 3 metres (9.8 feet) could hit coastal areas of the Philippines. Waves of up to 1 metre (3.3 ft) were possible in parts of Indonesia and Malaysia. In short, the Philippines quake has prompted region-wide alerts and evacuations.

(ANI)

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