Philippines grapples with growing earthquake damage, deaths | NHK WORLD-JAPAN News

Philippines grapples with growing earthquake damage, deaths Philippine authorities say the death toll from the magnitude 7.7 quake that struck the southern island of Mindanao on Monday has risen to 45 as of early Wednesday morning, with 17 people missing and over 30,000 displaced. An NHK crew went to General Santos, the city in southern Mindanao near the epicenter, to get the story on the ground.

Extensive damage has been reported in Mindanao including collapsed buildings. The Japan Meteorological Agency said on Tuesday that it had revised the magnitude of the earthquake down, to 7.7 from 8.2, as the result of analysis.

Local authorities say over 30,000 people have been displaced and around 2,500 homes have been destroyed or severely damaged. There have also been reports of damage to electricity and telecommunication infrastructure.

One rescue team has been working in an area where a supermarket used to stand. The three-story building collapsed, leaving one person dead.

The families of two missing people looked on anxiously.

One man said, "It's agonizing. I will continue to wait here until my father is found."

A woman said her nephew is missing. She added," I am grateful to the rescue team, they are working hard in the intense heat."

An NHK crew entered the city of General Santos on Tuesday.

Some buildings in the city center have completely collapsed. Others are still standing, but tilt dangerously forward.

According to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, more than 1,100 earthquakes had been recorded in southern Mindanao as of Tuesday morning.

A large number of people spent Tuesday inside makeshift tents. One woman said that buildings were too hot and unsafe, so they decided to set up tents outside.

In General Santos, power outages are also having a serious impact.

Toyama Seiko, who works for a non-profit organization and lives in General Santos, said the situation was tough.

Power was restored on Tuesday morning, but then went out again a few hours later, she said. With temperatures going up to 35 or 36 degrees Celsius during the day, it's quite hot without air conditioning.

"Aftershocks are occurring quite frequently, about once an hour," she added. "Occasionally, there is a boom as if one hit directly below, and it's rather frightening."

A tsunami washed boats up onto docks at a port near Mindanao.

An aerial photo of the same place taken before the quake shows a pristine sea with a number of boats at their moorings. But immediately after the quake, the water turned a muddy brown.

Professor Emeritus Tanioka Yuichiro of Hokkaido University said the magnitude 7.7 earthquake occurred when a fault inside the boundary of two tectonic plates slid up to 9 meters within an area stretching around 40 kilometers south to north.

Tanioka said, "The earthquake has increased the likelihood of magnitude 6 or stronger earthquakes occurring in the near future." He advised people living in coastal areas to stay alert for about a week.