Philippines 7.8 earthquake death toll rises to 35, hundreds injured

The death toll from the magnitude 7.8 earthquake off the coast of of Mindanao Island in the southern Philippines Monday morning has risen to 35 and more than 100 people injured, the country's Office of Civil Defense (OCD) reported.

The casualties of strongest tremor the Philippines has suffered in nearly five decades were victims of collapsed structures and landslides in Sarangani Province and General Santos City, the OCD said.

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Of the fatalities, three were reported in Davao del Sur, a neighboring province, the agency added, noting search, rescue and retrieval operations will continue.

Beyond threshold

The Philippine building code requires structures to be able to withstand an earthquake of up to magnitude 7.0.

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Monday morning's quake exceeded that threshold and was classified by the country's seismology agency as "destructive."

Meanwhile, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has suspended classes and government operations in the affected areas while disaster response efforts continue and "until further notice."

Presidential spokesperson Claire Castro said the president will not visit the hardest-hit areas immediately, adding that Marcos does not wish to distract first responders with his presence.

The government has also authorized the release and use of all emergency funds to provide relief to victims "as needed."