A mayor in a quake-hit town in the southern Philippines is asking for immediate help from military helicopters to airlift food to villages cut off by landslides, where residents face hunger. Reports describe the plea as an effort to reach “very hungry” communities that are isolated because roads and access routes have been disrupted.
The earthquake is described as a 7.8 magnitude offshore event that strikes on Monday off the southern province of Sarangani. The disaster response is complicated by landslides that bury homes and block transport, including in and around the coastal town of Glan. Multiple outlets report substantial casualties and ongoing missing-persons concerns. South China Morning Post reports at least 47 deaths, 688 injuries, and 31 people still missing, with more than 45,000 people remaining displaced, about half of them in emergency shelters. The Hindu reports 20 deaths in Sarangani, with casualties attributed largely to a landslide that buried houses in Glan.
While details of the exact location and scale of the food-delivery request differ slightly, all coverage centers on urgent logistics to supply isolated communities with food supplies by air.
