Powerful earthquake kills 69 in central Philippines

At least 69 people have been killed and dozens more injured after a powerful 6.9-magnitude earthquake struck the central Philippines late Tuesday, collapsing homes and buildings across Cebu province. Officials warned the toll could rise as rescuers continued to pull survivors from the rubble.

The quake, which hit around 10 p.m. at a shallow depth of just 5 kilometers, was centered 19 kilometers northeast of Bogo City, a coastal community of about 90,000 people where nearly half of the fatalities occurred. More than 600 aftershocks have since been recorded.

Rescue operations have been hampered by damaged roads, downed bridges, and heavy rains. Teams using sniffer dogs and heavy equipment worked overnight, while families waited outside hospitals and near the debris for news of missing loved ones. Authorities said several people remain trapped under collapsed structures, including in a mountain village hit by landslides.

Deaths were also reported in the nearby towns of Medellin and San Remigio, where a firefighter, three coast guard personnel, and a child were killed by falling debris.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology initially issued a tsunami alert, later lifted after no waves materialized. Still, thousands of residents chose to spend the night in open fields and parks, fearful of returning indoors.

The earthquake comes just days after a tropical storm left at least 27 people dead in the same region, compounding the devastation. “This was really traumatic to people. They’ve been lashed by a storm, then jolted by an earthquake,” said institute director Teresito Bacolcol.

The Philippines, located on the seismically active Pacific “Ring of Fire,” is one of the world’s most disaster-prone countries, facing frequent typhoons, quakes, and volcanic eruptions.