Cebu Island, Philippines: At least 60 people have died and nearly 150 others injured after a powerful 6.9-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Cebu, a central Philippine island province, Al Jazeera reported Wednesday.
According to the United States Geological Survey, the quake hit at 9:59 p.m. local time on Tuesday (1:59 p.m. GMT) near the northern tip of Cebu Island, close to the city of Bogo, home to roughly 90,000 residents. The initial tremor was followed by four additional quakes of magnitude 5 or higher in the same area.
Rafaelito Alejandro, deputy administrator of the Philippines Office of Civil Defence, confirmed the updated death toll on Wednesday, marking a significant increase from the 26 fatalities initially reported by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.
“We are receiving additional casualty reports, so the situation remains very fluid. Reports indicate that up to 60 individuals have perished in this earthquake,” Alejandro told reporters in Manila.
Local authorities have declared a “state of calamity” in parts of Cebu. The earthquake caused widespread power outages and structural damage, including the collapse of buildings. The Cebu provincial government has called on medical volunteers to assist in relief efforts.
Pamela Baricuatro, governor of Cebu, said in a social media video, “We are still assessing the damage, but it could be worse than we think.” She added that she is coordinating with the president’s office and requesting aid. Baricuatro also noted that an unspecified number of homes and a hospital were damaged, and emergency medical teams are being deployed to treat the injured.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) has urged residents in Cebu, Leyte, and Biliran to stay away from the coast due to a minor sea level disturbance and to remain alert for unusual waves.
