Philippines earthquake kills dozens as rescuers race against time PHOTO

Rescue operations are underway in the central Philippines after a powerful earthquake left at least 72 people dead and more than 200 injured.

The 6.9-magnitude tremor struck late on September at a shallow depth of 5km, with its epicentre about 19km northeast of Bogo, a coastal city in Cebu province, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

Officials fear the death toll will rise further, as many remain trapped beneath collapsed homes and buildings.

Emergency teams, using backhoes, sniffer dogs and even their bare hands, have been searching for survivors amid concrete slabs, twisted iron and shattered wood. In Bogo City, where about half of the confirmed fatalities were reported, rescuers worked through the night under spotlights but found no survivors in one collapsed structure.

“We are still within the golden hour of our search and rescue,” said Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro IV, deputy administrator of the Office of Civil Defence. “There are still many reports of people pinned or struck by debris.”

The earthquake also triggered landslides in mountainous areas, hampering access to remote villages. Local disaster officials said some survivors had been pulled from rubble and rushed to hospitals, though damaged roads and bridges, along with sporadic rain, continue to slow the response.

Among the victims were three coast guard personnel, a firefighter and a child, who died in the nearby towns of Medellin and San Remigio after being struck by collapsing walls and falling debris.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology briefly issued a tsunami warning for coastal areas in Cebu, Leyte and Biliran, but this was lifted within hours.

The quake struck as the region was still reeling from a tropical storm last week that left at least 27 people dead and forced tens of thousands to flee their homes.

Thousands of traumatised residents have since refused to return indoors, choosing instead to spend nights in open fields and parks despite heavy rains.

By Aghakazim Guliyev