Death toll in Davao Occidental quake reaches 11

INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — The total number of deaths due to the earthquake off Davao Occidental climbed to 11, the Department of Health (DOH) said on Tuesday.

DOH said that aside from these fatalities, a total of 730 individuals were reported ill and injured after the tremor.

Of the 730 casualties, 689 have been treated as outpatient and 41 are still admitted in hospitals.

Meanwhile, the DOH said the hospitals in affected regions remain functional as they continue to assess the damage in their facilities.

READ: Magnitude 6.8 earthquake jolts Sarangani

“While the DOH conducts its health facility assessment to check for damages within hospitals and health facilities, rest assured that at present, these are still functional and are able to provide health services to individuals affected by the earthquake,” the DOH said in a statement.

A total of 3,696 families or 16,293 individuals in Davao region and Soccsksargen were affected by the tremor, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council’s situational report on Tuesday.

READ: Phivolcs: No tsunami threat after 7.2 quake off Sarangani town, Davao Occidental

The Magnitude 6.8 tectonic earthquake occurred 30 kilometers southwest of Sarangani, Davao Occidental on Friday afternoon and had a shallow depth of 10 kilometers, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs).

Phivolcs initially pegged the quake at Magnitude 7.2.