69 Confirmed Dead After Strong Earthquake Rocks Island, Many Still Missing
- A 6.9-magnitude earthquake struck off Cebu Island and has left at least 69 dead and nearly 150 injured as rescue operations intensify
- Officials declared a state of calamity in parts of Cebu as homes, a hospital, and a church collapsed while power outages swept several towns
- Rescue teams with soldiers, police, and volunteers are searching for survivors, while officials appeal for food, water, and medical assistance
The death toll from a strong earthquake that struck the central Philippines has risen to 69, with officials warning that the number could increase as search and rescue operations continue. Nearly 150 people have been reported injured.
The United States Geological Survey said the 6.9 magnitude quake hit off the northern tip of Cebu Island near the city of Bogo late Tuesday evening.
Source: AFP
The tremor was followed by several powerful aftershocks, including four above magnitude 5.
Philippines declares calamity as death toll rises
Authorities confirmed the new casualty figures on Wednesday after initial reports had placed the deaths at 26. Rescue teams made up of soldiers, police officers, volunteers, backhoes and sniffer dogs are combing through collapsed structures in search of survivors, Al-Jazeera reported.
“We’re still in the golden hour of our search and rescue,” Office of Civil Defense deputy administrator Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro IV said during a briefing. “There are still many reports of people who were pinned or hit by debris.”
Local officials declared a state of calamity in parts of Cebu. Buildings collapsed, bridges swayed and electricity was knocked out in several areas. Motorcycle riders were seen abandoning their bikes as tremors shook a major bridge in the province.
Governor Pamela Baricuatro appealed for national assistance, saying homes and even a hospital were damaged.
“We’re sending already a trauma team there. Doctors and nurses are on the way. We need medicine, food, medical teams,” she told DZMM radio.
Source: AFP
Rescue efforts intensify after deadly Cebu quake
The Cebu provincial government also issued a call for medical volunteers. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology warned residents in Cebu, Leyte and Biliran to avoid the coast due to possible abnormal sea level changes.
San Remigio town, among the hardest-hit areas, reported seven deaths, including firefighters and coastguard personnel who were killed when a sports complex collapsed during a basketball game.
“The victims were playing basketball inside the sports complex when it collapsed,” police captain Jan Ace Elcid Layug said.
Thirteen people, including four minors, died in Bogo City, while two fatalities were recorded in the towns of Medellin and Tabuelan. In Daanbantayan, the Archdiocesan Shrine of Santa Rosa de Lima suffered partial collapse, cutting power to the town.
Vice mayor Alfie Reynes of San Remigio appealed for food, water and heavy equipment, noting that supply lines were cut and rainfall was worsening the situation.
The Philippines, located in the Pacific Ring of Fire, experiences frequent earthquakes. In July 2022, a magnitude 7 earthquake killed five people, while another powerful tremor in December 2023 forced mass evacuations in the south.
Thunderstorm kills one in Adamawa
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that a thunderstorm in Adamawa State had left one person dead, several others injured and dozens of families homeless, following heavy rainfall and widespread flooding in Demsa Local Government Area of Adamawa state..
The Mbula community, one of the worst affected, was struck by tragedy when a powerful thunderbolt claimed the life of a resident, Leader Jimre, while injuring others who are currently receiving treatment at a local hospital.
Proofreading by Funmilayo Aremu, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
