Rescuers in the southern Philippines pulled a body from the rubble of a collapsed supermarket on Wednesday, as the death toll from a major earthquake climbed to 46.
7.8-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Mindanao on Monday, causing widespread destruction. Buildings collapsed, landslides were triggered, and tsunami warnings were issued across several parts of the southern island.
One of the victims was identified as 39-year-old Joey Deluvio, an employee of a supermarket in General Santos City that has remained the focus of rescue and recovery efforts despite ongoing aftershocks. Earlier in the operation, rescuers had detected what appeared to be a weak pulse using life-detecting equipment. However, local rescuer Michelle Chua said that when teams reached the victim, there were no signs of life.
Deluvio's body was found trapped between two concrete beams. Civil defence officials confirmed that his death had not yet been included in the official fatality count released by the national disaster agency.
The agency reported that the number of confirmed deaths had risen to 45, while the number of missing persons increased sharply from four to 17. Most of the newly reported fatalities were recorded in Davao Occidental province, where people lost their lives due to landslides and collapsing buildings, according to civil defence official Rafaelito Alejandro.
Rescue and relief operations continue in the affected areas as authorities assess the full extent of the devastation caused by the earthquake.
