Pope Leo XIV on Sunday appealed for the victims of a powerful earthquake that struck last week in the Philippines.

The powerful 7.8-magnitude temblor hit the southern island of Mindanao on Monday of last week, killing at least 61 people and injuring 1,400 others.

At least 40 people were still missing on Sunday.

Speaking after the Angelus prayer on Sunday, the pontiff assured the people of the country of his prayers.

“I assure the people of the Philippines, struck a few days ago by a powerful earthquake, of my closeness,” Leo said, adding assurances of his prayers “for the deceased and their families, for the wounded and for all those suffering because of this disaster.”

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The country’s geological survey institute located the epicenter of the quake about 20 miles southwest of Maasim, a town in the Sarangani province of Mindanao, at a depth of just over 20 miles.

The quake has affected nearly 350,00 people across the southern Philippines, with 45,000 people displaced and nearly 13,000 dwellings showing signs of damage to varying degrees.

Landslides triggered by the quake have also hampered rescue and relief efforts, while the quake and the incidents in its aftermath have damaged infrastructure.

Popwer outages were reported across wide swathes of the affected area.

According to recent reports from the country’s environmental department, the quake also raised the seabed by more than 6 feet, threatening coral reefs and other marine life.