At least 69 people have been confirmed dead after a magnitude-6.9 earthquake struck Cebu province in the central Philippines late Tuesday night, trapping residents in collapsed houses, nightclubs, and businesses.
The quake, which hit around 10 p.m., had an epicenter about 19 kilometers northeast of Bogo city at a shallow depth of 5 kilometers, officials said. Nearly half of the reported fatalities were in Bogo, a coastal city of 90,000, where authorities warned the death toll could rise as rescuers searched through the rubble.
Troops, police, and volunteers, aided by backhoes and sniffer dogs, were conducting house-to-house searches despite damaged bridges, blocked roads, and heavy rains. Some victims were also reported in Medellin and San Remigio towns, including coast guard members, a firefighter, and a child, killed by collapsing walls and falling debris.
The quake, one of the strongest in the region in more than a decade, prompted a brief tsunami warning that was later lifted. Still, thousands of residents stayed in parks and open fields overnight, fearful of aftershocks.
Officials said more than 600 aftershocks have been recorded since the quake. The region was already reeling from a deadly tropical storm that killed at least 27 people last week.
The Philippines sits on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” making it highly prone to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
