Manila: At least 19 people were killed and dozens injured after a powerful 6.9-magnitude earthquake struck Cebu province in the central Philippines on Tuesday night, local media reported on Wednesday.
Authorities confirmed the death toll at 19 but warned it could rise as rescue operations continue. According to the provincial information office, 13 people were killed in Bogo City—the quake’s epicenter—while four others died in San Remigio town. Another fatality was reported in Medellin, where two bridges were also damaged.
Cebu Provincial Hospital in Bogo City has been overwhelmed as injured victims continue to arrive, straining medical personnel, SunStar Cebu reported.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology initially recorded the quake at 6.7 magnitude but later upgraded it to 6.9. It struck at 9:59 p.m. Tuesday at a shallow depth of 5 kilometers, about 19 kilometers northeast of Bogo City.
The tremor was felt across several central provinces and parts of the southern Philippines. It damaged village roads and knocked out power in Cebu and nearby islands. Electricity was restored to Cebu and four other major central islands shortly after midnight, according to the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines.
The Philippines lies on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” a region highly vulnerable to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
