Philippine quakes death toll rises to 21

Help from above: Rescuers and soldiers helping villagers to a helicopter after they were trapped in their mountaintop homes due to landslides triggered by earthquakes in Makilala town in Mindanao. — AFP

Manila: The death toll in two powerful quakes that struck the southern Philippines in the past week has risen to 21, authorities said, as survivors struggled to access food and water.

The 6.6-magnitude and 6.5-magnitude quakes hit the island of Mindanao two days apart, destroying buildings and displacing tens of thousands of residents.