Manila [Philippines], October 2: At least 69 people were killed in a strong earthquake that rocked the central Philippines, toppling buildings, cutting power and sending residents fleeing into the streets, officials said on Wednesday.
Over 140 people were injured in the magnitude 6.9 quake that hit the central province of Cebu and nearby provinces on Tuesday evening, the national disaster agency said.
Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro IV, deputy administrator for the Office of Civil Defense, said most of the fatalities were caused by falling debris.
The death toll could still rise, he added, but expressed hope that the number "would not reach three digits." He said priority was search and rescue operations, especially in Bogo City, the epicentre of the offshore quake.
"There are still aftershocks, and many do not want to return to their homes, especially in Bogo City," Alejandro added.
The fatalities included 30 people in Bogo City, Cebu, where a landslide triggered by the quake buried houses, according to the provincial disaster risk reduction office.
Bodies were placed outside Cebu Provincial Hospital, the municipality's primary medical facility, where all patients had to be evacuated.
In San Remigio town, 22 people were killed in the tremor, the provincial disaster office said.
Five people, including a Bureau of Fire Protection officer and three coastguard members, were killed when a sports complex collapsed.
"The victims were playing basketball inside the sports complex when it collapsed," said police captain Jan Ace Elcid Layug.
Two other fatalities were reported in the towns of Medellin and Tabuelan, the provincial office said.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) reported over 600 aftershocks, the strongest measuring magnitude 4.8.
A tsunami alert warning of waves up to one metre was issued shortly after the quake.
Footage shared on social media showed various damaged structures, including heritage churches, and people panicking.
One video showed people praying while taking cover under a table as ceilings collapsed inside a shopping mall. Another showed vehicles stopping on a bridge as it swayed.
Streets in the affected areas were littered with debris, while some roads cracked. In Tabuelan town, a highway was blocked by a landslide, while a fire broke out in a mall in Consolacion town, the disaster agency said.
Source: Qatar Tribune
