The death toll from the 6.9-magnitude earthquake that struck Cebu province in the Philippines on Tuesday night (September 30) has risen to 60. “As high as 60 individuals were reported to have perished in this earthquake,” said OCD Assistant Secretary Rafael Alejandro IV in a press briefing.
The quake occurred at around 10 pm on Wednesday, with the epicentre located at 21 kilometers northeast of Bogo City with a shallow depth of five kilometres. Relief and rescue operations are still underway as authorities warn the death toll may rise amid widespread damage to infrastructure and power lines.
The disaster has prompted an urgent response from both local and national authorities as they work to manage the unfolding crisis. "The situation is very fluid, definitely there are casualties, we've received reports of 119 injuries," a senior official told local media.
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Due to the series of aftershocks, hospital staff were seen treating their patients in open areas. "Resources will reach those who need them," an official of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) told local media, adding that the military and civilian resources had been mobilised to help in the search, rescue and disaster response.
A mall in Cebu collapsed, and a McDonald's store was damaged during the magnitude 6.9 quake. Several historic churches were reportedly damaged. Seismologists have revised the tremor's initial magnitude from 6.7 to 6.9.