The death toll from a powerful 6.9-magnitude earthquake that rocked Cebu province in the central Philippines has risen to 69, according to the country’s Office of Civil Defense. Officials shared this update during a briefing on Wednesday, as rescue teams keep searching for survivors amid the rubble.
Assistant Secretary Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro, the agency’s deputy administrator, broke down the numbers: 30 people lost their lives in Bogo City, the quake’s epicenter, while 10 died in nearby Medellin town. San Remigio saw the highest toll outside Bogo with 22 deaths, followed by five in Tabogon. One person each perished in Sogod and Tabuelan municipalities. Most victims suffered fatal injuries when collapsing walls from houses and buildings crushed them.
Early reports from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council noted at least 147 injuries. Alejandro hasn’t released updated figures on the wounded or anyone still missing, but experts warn the death toll could climb higher as emergency crews dig through debris in search of trapped individuals.
Alejandro mentioned that assessment teams are wrapping up their initial surveys to get a clearer picture. “We’re waiting for them to finish their rapid assessment,” he said earlier.
In response to the Cebu earthquake, local authorities have declared a state of calamity across the province. This move lets government units tap into emergency funds right away for relief efforts, rebuilding, and even price controls on basics like food and water to help those hit hardest.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology first pegged the offshore quake at 6.7 magnitude when it struck at 9:59 p.m. local time on Tuesday. They later bumped it up to 6.9, noting it hit just 5 kilometers deep and about 19 kilometers northeast of Bogo City. Shaking from the Philippines earthquake reached neighboring central provinces and even parts of the south.
Since then, the institute has logged more than 600 aftershocks, keeping nerves on edge in this seismically active area. The Philippines lies along the Pacific Ring of Fire, a hotspot for earthquakes and volcanoes that makes such events all too common.
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