Philippines: The death toll from a powerful earthquake in the southern Philippines has risen to 45, while 630 people were injured and 17 remain missing, a civil defence official said. Rescuers are still searching ruined buildings in the Philippines for anyone possibly trapped inside after Monday's quake.
According to Bahrain News Agency, the earthquake measured 7.8 on the Richter scale and struck off the coast of Mindanao, the second most populous island in the Philippines. In General Santos, a port city of around 700,000 people known as the tuna capital of the Philippines, at least 13 people were killed in collapsed buildings or as a result of falling debris.
Initial assessments by the government found that around 2,000 houses and 117 government buildings and facilities were damaged across several provinces. Meanwhile, General Santos' international airport remained shut, forcing the cancellation of 63 domestic flights, except for those bringing in humanitarian assistance.