The Philippines' Office of Civil Defense (OCD) terminated search and rescue operations on Thursday afternoon, after a 6.9-magnitude earthquake struck Cebu province on Tuesday evening, killing 73 and injuring over 200.
Authorities said that the decision was made as all missing persons had been accounted for and there were no further signs of trapped individuals. Efforts will now shift toward the distribution of relief goods and post-disaster reconstruction.
Near the hard-hit city of Bogo, the remote village of Barangay Binabag suffered devastating landslides during the Tuesday evening quake. Access to the area remains severely limited, with large vehicles unable to navigate the damaged roads, leaving motorcycles as the primary means of transport.
A visit by a China Media Group reporter to the most severely affected part of the village revealed extensive damage, where massive boulders had torn through houses after cascading down slopes. The earthquake struck around 22:00, when most residents were already asleep, making escape nearly impossible. Landslide scars remain visible throughout the community, with giant rocks still scattered across the village.
Local teacher Gehner Monsale told the reporter that a colleague residing in the village was among those killed. In a separate incident, four children from the family of a friend of Monsale had all died in the disaster.
"I'm really sad about the tragedy we've experienced here in Barangay Binabag. It's a very big change. So most of the people go down to the safe area or the evacuation area or the relocation site," he said.
Philippines concludes search for missing following quake that killed 73
Philippines concludes search for missing following quake that killed 73
Philippines concludes search for missing following quake that killed 73
