“This person can now not be contacted,” Fire Department official Fred Trajeras told reporters, adding that rescuers were hopeful that survivors could possibly be found.
Rescuers used chainsaws and thermal imaging equipment to look for survivors, but said the possibilities of finding anyone alive were slim.
“It’s very disturbing. The chances of finding survivors are very slim,” disaster official Christopher Tan told CNN Philippines.
But applause erupted after 31-year-old Lesley Jane Gatos was pulled from the rubble on Sunday shortly after the tremors.
She used her phone to call for help after which began making noise to get the eye of rescuers who reached her after clearing a path through the rubble.
“I finally managed to get out. I saw people. They clapped because I was saved first,” she said.
Television footage from Monday morning showed firefighters and rescue workers searching the area around the mall, a small two-story building, in the dark with flashlights. Roads were blocked by debris and broken metal.
More than 300 homes and eight government buildings suffered widespread power outages and minor damage, according to a Sunday report from the disaster agency.
A small child also died in a neighboring town when a family home collapsed near the epicenter, in the same region that had three quakes above 6.0 within weeks in October.
These tremors killed about twenty people and forced tens of thousands into shelters, and severely damaged homes and offices.
In a statement, Alberto Muyot, CEO of Save the Children Philippines, said the organization was “deeply concerned about the safety and well-being of over one million children” after Sunday’s devastating earthquake, “the fifth to hit the region since October.”
Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said the government had mobilized to help all victims.
“President Duterte is closely monitoring the progress of ongoing operations to accurately assess the damage caused by the earthquake, and all ground units have been ordered to work around the clock to ensure everyone is safe and ready for possible aftershocks,” Nograles said.
Additional reporting by Reuters
This article appeared within the print edition of the South China Morning Post as: Rescuers race to search out earthquake survivors
