Rescue operations in the southern Philippines reached a somber milestone on Wednesday as recovery teams retrieved the body of an employee from a collapsed supermarket in General Santos City. The victim, identified as 39-year-old Joey Deluvio, was found pinned beneath heavy structural beams. Although emergency responders had initially detected a faint pulse using specialized equipment, their hopes were dashed when they finally reached him, finding no signs of life amidst the ongoing threat of aftershocks.

The 7.8-magnitude earthquake, which struck off the coast of Mindanao this past Monday, has left a trail of devastation, including leveled buildings, massive landslides, and widespread tsunami warnings. Official reports from the national disaster agency indicate that the death toll has reached 46, though the number of missing individuals has surged to 17. Most of the casualties originated from Davao Occidental, where victims were largely trapped by debris or caught in the path of landslides triggered by the powerful tremor.