Death toll from Philippines earthquake rises to 3 as rescuers search rubble

There were widespread power outages and minor damage to more than 300 homes and eight government buildings

Crews used chainsaws and thermal imaging equipment to look for survivors after market building collapsed but held little hope of finding anyone alive

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Rescuers search for survivors of a collapsed building after a 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck Padada town. Photo: AFP

Published: 1:30pm, 16 Dec 2019Updated: 1:34pm, 17 Dec 2019

Rescuers in the southern Philippines used heavy equipment and their bare hands on Monday in the hope of finding several people feared trapped beneath a building toppled by a powerful magnitude 6.8 earthquake that claimed at least three lives.

Sunday’s tremor cracked schools, toppled homes and injured dozens but largely spared big cities on the island of Mindanao, which is still recovering from a string of deadly quakes in October.

Searchers have pulled survivors from the collapsed market building in the town of Padada, but were still looking for a person who had texted authorities saying six people were trapped under the rubble.

“The person can no longer be reached,” fire official Fred Trajeras told reporters, adding that rescuers’ held out hope survivors could be found.

Rescuers were using chainsaws and thermal imaging equipment to look for survivors, but said there was little hope of finding anyone alive.