A powerful magnitude 6.9 earthquake hit the Davao del Sur region and its adjacent provincess last Sunday at 2:11 pm, leaving 8 dead in its wake and more than 150 injured in the aftermath.

Based on the report from the Police Regional Office (PRO) 11 as of 9:30 am on Tuesday, three deaths were recorded in the town of Padada, two in Matanao, one in Bansalan, one in Magsaysay, and one in Hagonoy.

Six people were saved during search and rescue operations were also conducted at the Southern Trade Grocery Store which collapsed during the earthquake, with the Padada Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office citing liquefaction as its cause.

An initial assessment by Save the Children, an international humanitarian group states that more than a million children were affected by the earthquake that hit over the weekend, raising the urgent need for children and their families to have alternative homes, source of clean water, and other vital basic needs.

The Pacific Disaster Center also states that about 4.4 million people or 830,000 households live in the affected areas, including Kidapawan City, General Santos, Bansalan in Davao Del Sur, Alabel and Malaptan, as well as Sarangani in Koronadal City.

A total 556 aftershocks have been recorded since the major earthquake last Sunday— with 55 tremors felt by the residents of the area.The earthquake is part of a series of violent tremors that have rocked the region with a M6.3 last October 16, followed by a M6.1 and M6.6 earthquake on October 29, and a M6.5 last October 31, 2019.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) in its latest Earthquake Information placed the epicenter of the earthquake at 6 kilometers northwest of Matanao, Davao del Sur.

Relief efforts are currently on their way as the Office of Civil Defense of Davao Region facilitated the delivery of 2,650 water bottles and shelter materials for the affected community in Padada.