GENERAL SANTOS CITY — The death toll from the devastating Magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck Mindanao on June 8 continued to rise after authorities recovered the body of a trapped employee from the collapsed Savemore supermarket building in Barangay Calumpang on Wednesday morning, June 10.
The victim was identified as Joey Delovio, 39, a merchandiser employed at Savemore and a resident of Barangay Sinawal, General Santos City.
According to authorities, Delovio’s remains were retrieved at approximately 7:25 a.m. following an intensive search and retrieval operation conducted by a composite team composed of personnel from the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), Caraga Special Rescue Force, Emergency Medical Services (EMS), and other emergency response units operating in the city.
Delovio had been trapped inside the supermarket when the powerful earthquake struck on Monday, causing portions of the establishment to collapse and trapping several workers beneath tons of concrete, steel, and debris.
The retrieval operation came more than 48 hours after rescuers began round-the-clock efforts to locate employees believed to have been inside the building at the time of the disaster.
Authorities described the operation as highly challenging due to the unstable condition of the collapsed structure, forcing responders to proceed cautiously to prevent further cave-ins while searching for survivors and victims.
The recovery of Delovio’s body brought renewed grief to families and rescue workers who have spent days hoping to find those trapped alive beneath the rubble.
Despite the latest recovery, operations at the disaster site remain ongoing as authorities continue searching for another missing employee identified as Babylyn Angcan, who is also believed to be trapped inside the collapsed supermarket.
Emergency responders remain at the scene, utilizing specialized equipment and search techniques in a race against time to locate any remaining victims.
The collapse of the Savemore building has become one of the most tragic incidents linked to the powerful earthquake that shook large parts of Mindanao, leaving widespread destruction across several regions, damaging homes, schools, commercial establishments, roads, and other critical infrastructure.
As rescue and retrieval efforts continue, local authorities have urged the public to remain away from restricted zones surrounding damaged structures while engineers conduct safety assessments and emergency teams carry out their operations.
The recovery of Delovio’s body serves as another painful reminder of the human toll left by one of the strongest earthquakes to hit Mindanao in recent years, as families continue to await news of their loved ones amid the ongoing disaster response.