Rescue and relief efforts continue in southern Philippines after a 7.9-magnitude earthquake struck the southern island of Mindanao on Monday morning.
Philippine authorities said that the death toll has risen to at least 37, and it is expected to climb further as search-and-rescue efforts continue. More than 450 people were injured and tens of thousands displaced. Hospitals have suffered significant damage, forcing medical staff to move services outdoors.
Sarangani Provincial Hospital in Alabel, Sarangani Province sits near the area hardest hit by the earthquake. Inside the facility, sections of the ceiling gave way, sending debris into patient wards. Hospital staff moved swiftly to clear the rubble and assess the extent of the damage.
Concerns over the building's structural integrity prompted the evacuation of all patients.
With parts of the hospital damaged, medical services have been relocated outside. Temporary tents now cover the grounds, providing care for roughly 150 patients who were inside the facility when the earthquake hit.
At the height of the emergency, roughly 140 people were brought to the hospital for treatment.
"We had minor cases like lacerations. We have also dealt with cases of severe fractures and head injuries. They were hit by falling stones. We had also two patients who died," said Arlene Brion, chief of the hospital.
On Balut Island in Sarangani, four injured residents were airlifted to a hospital in Davao as local healthcare facilities grappled with the earthquake's aftermath.
Those evacuated included a mother and her infant, along with two elderly residents who were injured during the disaster.
One of the buildings is badly damaged by the earthquake. It used to house a popular fast-food chain, but now much of it is reduced to rubble.
Parts of the walls have collapsed, large cracks run through the structure, and sections of the ceiling have caved in. Several motorcycles parked outside were also crushed when parts of the building came down.
One grocery store is among the buildings hardest hit by the earthquake.
Several structural support pillars failed during the quake, triggering a partial collapse that left two employees trapped beneath the debris.
Rescue teams have been working around the clock in a race to reach the workers and bring them to safety.
"It's been almost two days, and they still haven't been found. So far, there has been no sign of them. I'm pleading with the rescuers to keep searching and move as quickly as possible, in the hope that they may still be alive," said Morphy Angcad, relative of a victim.
Rescue, relief efforts continue in southern Philippines after deadly tremor
Rescue, relief efforts continue in southern Philippines after deadly tremor
