Manila, October 1 : A powerful 6.9-magnitude earthquake struck Cebu province in the central Philippines on Tuesday evening, leaving up to 70 people feared dead, the Philippines’ Office of Civil Defence (OCD) reported on Wednesday.
The quake, which struck at 9:59 pm local time at a depth of 5 km, approximately 19 km northeast of Bogo City, caused widespread destruction and was also felt in neighbouring provinces across the central and southern Philippines. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology initially reported the tremor as magnitude 6.7 before revising it to 6.9.
According to the Cebu provincial disaster management office, at least 30 fatalities were reported in Bogo, the earthquake’s epicentre, 22 in San Remigio, 10 in Medellin, and one in Tabuelan. Assistant Secretary Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro of the OCD said the number of deaths is still being verified, and search teams are working to rescue people reportedly trapped under debris.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council initially reported 26 deaths and 147 injuries. The province of Cebu has declared a state of calamity, allowing local authorities to access emergency funds, provide relief, and implement measures such as price freezes on essential goods to support affected residents.
The Philippines lies along the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, making it highly susceptible to earthquakes and volcanic activity.
