Speaking at a Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council press briefing via Zoom on Friday evening, OCD-11 regional director Ednar Dayanghirang confirmed receiving verbal reports.

He said the office noted one death from Davao City; three from Mati City, Davao Oriental; and three from Pantukan town, Davao Occidental, though they have yet to revalidate the cause of their deaths.

Based on the initial reports in Mati, Dayanghirang said a person died after being buried by construction materials, while two others were believed to have had existing illnesses and suffered heart attacks during the tremor.

“The Davao Oriental Provincial DRRMO reported that one person died in a quarry, while two others who were already sick in the hospital apparently suffered a stroke or cardiac arrest,” he added.

Joseph Randy Loy, head of the Davao de Oro Provincial DRRMC, said one of their three deaths was a woman, while the two others were believed to be miners. He added that they still need to verify the details.

Loy said the local government unit in Montevista town also reported one death due to cardiac arrest, which might be due to anxiety. RDRRMC did not provide further details of all the fatalities for their privacy.

“We will still include this in our report, noting that the deaths were due to the patient’s existing medical condition. While this might be linked to the earthquake, the primary cause of death remains medical,” Loy added.

In Davao City, an 80-year-old man from this city was killed by a concrete wall that collapsed on him, the Santa Ana Police Station reported.

Initial report from the OCD-11 showed that 1,119 families or 5,595 persons from four barangays in Davao Oriental were evacuated to safer grounds, one house was totally damaged, and three were partially damaged.

The OCD-11 conducted an aerial assessment at around noon on Friday to evaluate the extent of damage caused the earthquake.

The aerial survey included Davao Oriental Gov. Nelson Dayanghirang, the Tactical Operations Group 11 under the Eastern Mindanao Command, and personnel from the Philippine Army.

Initial findings showed minimal damage to schools, bridges, and other major infrastructure across the province, indicating that most structures withstood the strong tremor. 

OCD-11 reported that one road section was rendered impassable due to landslides triggered by the earthquake, temporarily affecting residents’ mobility.

Dayanghirang said they will continue to coordinate with the PDRRMOs to evaluate the situation and the extent of damage caused by the earthquake.

“In coordination with LGUs and concerned national agencies, the regional office continues to monitor the situation and provide technical and operational support to affected communities,” he said.

The OCD-11 underscored the need for on-ground validation and detailed structural inspections to ensure public safety despite the limited visible damage.

Beverly Mae Brebante, director of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau-11, said the bureau is currently coordinating with other concerned offices to assess affected areas, particularly Davao Oriental and Davao de Oro.