Reports of casualties following the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck off Maasim, Sarangani, on Monday morning are still being monitored and validated, according to the Office of Civil Defense (OCD).
As of posting time, there are no official reports of casualties, the agency said in a Viber message to reporters.
Meanwhile, the OCD said there were reports of significant damage to various infrastructure facilities, while electricity and communication services were also disrupted in several areas.
The regions most affected by the powerful earthquake were Regions 9, 11, and 12, as well as the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
‘Public is advised to refrain from reentering their homes or other infrastructures, especially with signs of damage and high-rise buildings, and threat of aftershocks,’ the OCD said.
The Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Offices were also directed to supervise their areas of responsibility.
The OCD further said that rescue units of the uniformed services are on standby for deployment at any time, and that the Operations Center, National Inter-Agency Coordinating Cell, Response Clusters, and Agencies are on red alert status.
According to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), the tectonic earthquake occurred at 7:37 a.m. The epicenter of the earthquake was located 32 kilometers south and 4 degrees west of Maasim, Sarangani.