Kathmandu, June 10

The death toll from the powerful 7.8-magnitude earthquake that struck off the southern coast of Mindanao in the Philippines on Monday has risen to 45. According to updated figures released Wednesday by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), 487 people have been injured, while 17 others remain missing.

More than 33,000 families, or nearly 150,000 people, have been affected by the earthquake. The council reported damage to 238 structures, including hospitals, schools, and bridges. Strong tremors were felt across much of Mindanao and in parts of the central Philippines. More than 1,700 aftershocks have been recorded since the main quake. Authorities said search-and-rescue operations are continuing intensively in the affected areas.

The provinces of Sarangani and South Cotabato have suffered the most severe human and material losses. Together, the two provinces are home to nearly 700,000 people. According to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, the earthquake struck at 7:37 am local time on Monday. The epicentre was located 32 kilometres southwest of the coastal city of Maasim in Sarangani Province on Mindanao Island, at a depth of 33 kilometres.