A building collapses in General Santos City, the Philippines due to the 7.8-magnitude earthquake on June 8, 2026. — XINHUA/VNA Photo

HÀ NỘI — General Secretary of the Communist Party of Việt Nam Central Committee and State President Tô Lâm, and Prime Minister Lê Minh Hưng on Thursday sent messages of sympathy to Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos over great losses of life and property caused by a recent earthquake in the southern Philippines.

The same day, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lê Hoài Trung also sent a message of sympathy to his Philippine counterpart Maria Theresa Lazaro.

Rescue teams have recovered 53 bodies following the 7.8-magnitude earthquake that struck off the coast of Sarangani Province in southern Philippines, as search and rescue operations entered their fourth day, the Philippine Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) said on Thursday.

Speaking on Philippine television, BFP spokesperson Annalee Arroyo said the identities of the victims are still being verified. 

The BFP said search and rescue efforts remain concentrated in Region 12 (Soccsksargen), with additional personnel deployed from other areas. The agency earlier placed Regions 11 and 12 under red alert, mobilising a total of 3,441 personnel for rescue operations, humanitarian assistance and evacuation efforts. Authorities estimate that around 31 people remain missing.

As of Thursday morning, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) had recorded more than 2,223 aftershocks ranging in magnitude from 1.2 to 6.4.

Nearly 6,995 people are currently staying in evacuation centres after the earthquake damaged more than 12,600 homes across affected towns and cities.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. visited the devastated areas in General Santos City on Thursday and instructed relevant agencies to prioritise the restoration of healthcare services and strengthen medical care for the injured.

Philippine authorities continue to urge schools, government offices, businesses and households to assess the structural safety of buildings, conduct regular earthquake preparedness drills and prepare emergency kits containing medicine, drinking water and sufficient food supplies for at least three days. — VNA/VNS