Philippines quake leaves 45,000 displaced, mayor seeks helicopter food aid

A 7.8‑magnitude offshore earthquake struck the southern province of Sarangani in the Philippines on Monday, killing at least 47 people, injuring 688 and leaving 31 missing. More than 45,000 residents are displaced, half of them in emergency shelters, after over 12,600 homes were damaged.

Glan Mayor Victor James Yap appealed for the immediate deployment of Air Force helicopters to deliver food, water and other assistance to ten villages isolated by landslides. He told DZMM radio, “We need food and water but it’s difficult to transport them to some of our villages which remain isolated,” adding, “Choppers are needed to transport food because people there are already very hungry.”

The quake also triggered a coastal landslide, drowning two swimmers and leaving a third missing, and generated waves up to 1.4 m that reached Indonesia, Palau and southern Japan.