The death toll from a magnitude-6.9 earthquake that struck the coast of the Philippines has risen to at least 69, with rescuers searching through rubble and mud in the coastal city of Bogo. The shallow quake hit late on Tuesday near Bogo, a city of 90,000 people on the island of Cebu, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs).
More than 700 aftershocks have been recorded, though most were minor. Phivolcs warned that aftershocks could persist for several days to weeks. At the Cebu provincial hospital, patients were treated outside under tents as a precaution against further tremors. Injured children cried and adults screamed as they received care, while workers loaded black body bags into vans for transport to local mortuaries.
Rafaelito Alejandro, deputy administrator of the Office of Civil Defense, reported that 30 people were killed in Bogo, with additional fatalities in surrounding municipalities: 22 in San Remigio, 10 in Medellin, five in Tabogon, and one each in Sogod and Tabuelan. The Bogo hospital has treated 186 injured so far. Rescuers used excavators to search through the collapsed remains of a two-storey motel, where two receptionists and a child were feared trapped.
Survivors shared harrowing stories. Richard Guion, 39, recounted how his 17-year-old son dug him and his wife from under a collapsed concrete wall. Isagani Jilig, 41, whose wife and child are missing, vowed to remain at the rescue site until they are found. Firefighter Erwin Castaneda said, “We cannot give up. We are talking about lives here.”
Heavy rains and power cuts have hampered rescue efforts. The Cebu provincial government has appealed for medical volunteers via Facebook. President Ferdinand Marcos pledged swift aid, offering condolences to bereaved families. Authorities have imposed price controls on basic goods and fuel to ensure availability for affected residents.
The Philippines lies on the Pacific “ring of fire,” an area of intense seismic activity. Earthquakes are frequent, but destructive quakes occur unpredictably. This is the deadliest earthquake in the country in over a decade.
