The death toll from a magnitude 6.9 earthquake that struck off the central Philippines late on Tuesday has risen to 72, the civil defence agency said on Thursday (2 October).
Another 294 people were injured, the agency said in a report. The latest death toll was an increase of three from Wednesday and all fatalities were recorded in the central Visayas region.
As rescue operations continue, survivors in the worst-hit city of Bogo are confronting widespread power outages, destroyed homes, and overwhelmed medical facilities.
Many residents have been forced to sleep outdoors in tents or their vehicles, gathering in open spaces to collect relief supplies as darkness fell.
In affected neighbourhoods, houses sustained severe damage as terraces collapsed, and wooden and sheet-metal structures were destroyed. Some residents remained in their damaged homes despite the danger.
Fear of aftershocks and structural damage forced the Cebu Provincial Hospital in Bogo to move bed-bound patients outside to receive treatment, including intravenous drips and oxygen, in the parking lot. The hospital is also functioning as a coordination centre for rescue operations and casualty reporting.
The shallow quake struck waters off the central island of Cebu late at night, damaging power lines, bridges and multiple buildings, including a church that was more than 100 years old.
Early on Wednesday, military vehicles carrying critical aid arrived in the affected areas, delivering much-needed supplies to the devastated communities.
Mark Ochea, who was working as a security guard at a McDonald’s fast food restaurant when the disaster struck, described the scene when the building collapsed.
“It really collapsed. It was like, bam, and then the other side of our building collapsed,” the 36-year-old said outside the restaurant now surrounded by rubble.
“It’s a good thing that all of the people were all out front.”
Meanwhile, 47-year-old tricycle driver Sonny Cuse was thankful his family and neighbours escaped unscathed even though they were all afraid.
“We were afraid," Sonny said. "We thought we would have died by today, but we’re thankful that we are all safe. I’m thankful to the Lord.”
The Cebu quake was the country's deadliest since at least 2013, when a 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck the neighbouring island of Bohol, killing 222 people.
The Philippines sits on the Pacific 'Ring of Fire' and experiences more than 800 quakes each year.
European museums are increasingly returning cultural artefacts to countries in Africa and the Middle East, as pressure grows to address the legacy of ...
Uzbekistan will launch a new digital financial platform from 1 July aimed at simplifying access to finance for entrepreneurs, as part of broader effor...
Pakistan has warned that any attempt by India to block or significantly reduce river flows under the Indus Waters Treaty could have “far-reaching co...
Georgia is overhauling its migration laws in one of the most significant legal reforms in years, introducing criminal penalties for fake marriages, ti...
The global race to develop quantum computing is accelerating, with governments and technology firms investing heavily in what is expected to become a ...
Vietnamese police have broken up a suspected transnational criminal group accused of attempting to establish a large-scale online scam centre in the country, authorities said on Friday, amid a wider regional crackdown on cyber fraud networks across Southeast Asia.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines has expressed “absolute solidarity” with Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro following sanctions imposed on him by China.
Rescuers searched the rubble of a collapsed building in the southern Philippine city of General Santos on Tuesday after a powerful earthquake killed at least 37 people and injured hundreds across the country.
A powerful earthquake struck off the southern Philippine island of Mindanao on Monday (8 June), killing at least 32 people and triggering tsunami warnings across the region.
SpaceX has made history with the largest initial public offering ever in the United States, pricing its shares at $135 each and achieving a market valuation of $1.77 trillion.
SpaceX made a historic entrance into the Nasdaq on Friday, surging over 20% in its first day of trading and lifting its valuation to more than $2 trillion. Investors flocked to the world’s largest IPO, betting on Elon Musk’s sprawling empire spanning rockets, AI and beyond.
While France hosts next week’s Group of Seven summit, businesses in neighbouring Switzerland have already begun taking precautions, with many shops in Geneva boarded up ahead of a large anti-G7 demonstration expected on Sunday.
Formula 1 driver Pierre Gasly’s Monaco Grand Prix podium has been reinstated after Alpine successfully challenged his post-race penalties through a Right of Review request with the FIA.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk have criticised Britain, France and Germany for leaving them out of talks with Russia about a potential future peace deal for Ukraine.
Every June, roughly 13 million young people in China sit down at the same time to take the same test. They have been preparing for it, in many cases, since primary school. Their families have rearranged their lives around it.
Georgia is overhauling its migration laws in one of the most significant legal reforms in years, introducing criminal penalties for fake marriages, tighter controls on foreign students and expanded investigative powers for the migration authorities.
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for 13 June, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Ambassadors from the European Union’s 27 member states have agreed to advance accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova, paving the way for the first formal phase of talks to begin on Monday.
European Union countries have agreed to maintain the current three-hour threshold for flight delay compensation in the bloc’s upcoming update to air passenger rights, preserving one of the most recognisable protections for travellers.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment