PHILIPPINES: Rescue teams in the southern Philippines recovered a body from the rubble of a collapsed supermarket on Wednesday, as the death toll from a powerful earthquake climbed to 46.
The 7.8-magnitude quake struck just off the coast of Mindanao on Monday, causing widespread destruction, including collapsed buildings, landslides, and tsunami warnings across parts of the southern island.
The victim was identified as 39-year-old Joey Deluvio, one of two supermarket employees in General Santos City where search and recovery operations have been ongoing despite repeated aftershocks. Rescue workers had earlier detected what was described as a “weak pulse” using life-detection equipment, but officials later confirmed there were no signs of life when the body was reached.
Deluvio was found trapped between two concrete beams, according to local rescue officials.
The national disaster agency said the official death toll had risen to 45 on Wednesday, while the number of missing persons increased sharply from four to 17. However, civil defence authorities clarified that Deluvio’s death had not yet been included in the official tally.
Most of the additional fatalities were reported in Davao Occidental province, where victims were killed in landslides and building collapses, according to civil defence officials.