Cebu, Philippines: A 6.9-magnitude earthquake struck central Philippines late Tuesday, killing at least 69 people and injuring more than 150, officials confirmed. The powerful tremor, centred about 19 kilometres northeast of Bogo City in Cebu province, hit at a shallow depth of five kilometres, causing widespread devastation across multiple towns.
Buildings collapsed, walls cracked, and panic spread as thousands rushed outdoors in the middle of the night. In San Remigio, fatalities included firefighters, coast guard personnel, and a child after a wall gave way during a basketball game. In Medellin, dozens were crushed when ceilings and walls caved in while they slept. A historic Roman Catholic church in Daanbantayan also suffered major damage.
The local hospital in Bogo City was overwhelmed as casualties poured in, while rescuers struggled to reach remote communities blocked by landslides and floods from heavy rains. Authorities recorded more than 600 aftershocks, forcing people to spend the night in open fields despite intermittent rainfall.
A tsunami warning was briefly issued for Cebu, Leyte, and Biliran but later lifted after no abnormal waves were detected. The government has declared a state of calamity in San Remigio to speed up rescue and relief. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. dispatched cabinet officials to oversee recovery efforts and pledged urgent support.
Power outages, damaged bridges, and disrupted communications have hampered relief operations. The quake struck just days after a deadly storm claimed at least 27 lives in the region, compounding the hardship for already battered communities.
The Philippines, lying along the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” remains highly prone to earthquakes and volcanic activity, with officials warning the death toll could rise as rescuers search through rubble and reach more isolated villages.