At least 69 people have been confirmed dead following a powerful earthquake that struck central Philippines late Tuesday, leaving hundreds injured and overwhelming hospitals on Cebu island.
The shallow magnitude 6.9 tremor, recorded near the city of Bogo by the US Geological Survey, sent residents fleeing into the streets and forced hospitals to treat patients under makeshift tents as aftershocks rattled the area overnight.
Disaster officials said many victims were crushed by falling debris. “Many of them were pinned down by debris, which caused their death,” Office of Civil Defence deputy administrator Rafaelito Alejandro said on state television, while confirming the latest death toll.
Casualties were spread across several municipalities: 30 fatalities in Bogo, 22 in San Remigio, 10 in Medellin, five in Tabogon, and one each in Sogod and Tabuelan. The Bogo hospital reported at least 186 people injured.
Survivors shared harrowing accounts. Richard Guion, 39, and his wife were rescued by their teenage son after a concrete wall collapsed on them. “When the cement collapsed, I called out to him,” Guion said, grateful his son ignored his call to sleep earlier.
Rescue efforts continued through the night as firemen drilled through the rubble of a two-storey motel where people, including children, were feared trapped. “We cannot give up. We are talking about lives here,” firefighter Erwin Castaneda said.
President Ferdinand Marcos has pledged immediate aid, offering condolences to bereaved families.
Footage from the quake showed historic church structures collapsing, bridges swaying, and panicked shoppers seeking cover as buildings shook violently.
Authorities have appealed for medical volunteers to support hospitals, which remain stretched thin as the region grapples with the aftermath of one of its deadliest recent quakes.
