The death toll from the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck off the southern coast of Mindanao, the Philippines, on June 8 has risen to 68, with 33 people still missing as of Tuesday morning, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.
According to a report released by the council, the powerful earthquake has affected 1,380,000 people and damaged 68,000 homes.
Infrastructure losses have exceeded one billion pesos (around 17 million U.S. dollars), and agricultural losses have exceeded 29 million pesos (around 480,000 U.S. dollars).
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said the tectonic earthquake occurred at 7:37 local time at a depth of 33 km, with the epicenter 32 km southwest of the coast of Maasim town in Sarangani Province on Mindanao Island.
The Philippines, an archipelagic nation in Southeast Asia, is frequently affected by earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and tsunamis due to its location along the Pacific "Ring of Fire," a vast horseshoe-shaped zone of intense seismic and volcanic activity surrounding the Pacific Ocean.
Death toll from Philippines quake rises to 68
Chinese Premier Li Qiang met with visiting President of Myanmar Min Aung Hlaing in Beijing on Tuesday afternoon.
Li said China is willing to work with Myanmar to follow the strategic guidance of the two countries' heads of state, carry forward the traditional friendship, consolidate political mutual trust, deepen cooperation in trade and investment, law enforcement and security, and people-to-people exchanges, and advance construction of the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor to better serve the modernization efforts of both nations.
The premier said the two sides should strengthen multilateral coordination and cooperation, defend the common interests of developing countries, and promote the building of a more just and equitable global governance system. For his part, Min Aung Hlaing said Myanmar firmly adheres to the one-China principle.
The president expressed the willingness to enhance cooperation with China in areas such as economy, trade and people-to-people and cultural exchanges, adding that Myanmar is ready to strengthen multilateral coordination with China and to elevate the bilateral relations to a higher level.
Min Aung Hlaing said Myanmar will take effective measures to ensure the safety of Chinese personnel, institutions, and projects in Myanmar.
Chinese premier meets with Myanmar president
