Philippines quake leaves 69 dead, dozens more feared trapped

At least 69 people have been killed after a powerful earthquake struck the central Philippines, officials confirmed on October 1.

The 6.9-magnitude tremor hit Cebu province on the evening of September 30 and was felt across much of the Visayas, as well as in parts of Luzon and Mindanao.

Deputy Civil Defence Administrator Raffi Alejandro gave the updated death toll during a briefing, according to Reuters. Authorities warned that the number of casualties is expected to rise as reports continue to come in from affected areas.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said the earthquake struck at 9:59 p.m. local time, with the epicentre located 20 kilometres northeast of the city of Bogo. The tremor registered as a magnitude seven on the local intensity scale in Bogot, Daanbantayan, Medellin, San Remigio and Tabuelan. Hundreds of aftershocks have since been recorded near the epicentre.

According to ABS-CBN News, the quake was triggered by a fault that had not produced a strong underground movement for the past 400 years. Winchell Sevilla, head of Phivolcs’ seismology department, said personnel were being dispatched to the epicentre to collect further data and assess the situation.

Local authorities reported that the bodies of the victims have been taken to the city hospital in Bogo. In San Remigio, a sports and recreation complex collapsed during the quake, leaving people trapped under the debris. Rescue operations are underway.

By Tamilla Hasanova