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.
Tehran had made plans to strike sites in Ukraine after Kyiv attacked an Iranian cargo ship in the Caspian Sea, a senior Iranian military adviser has s...
More than 800 Afghan families returned from Pakistan and Iran over two days as Afghan authorities continued receiving thousands of people arriving thr...
Japan is carrying out its biggest military buildup since World War II, with Tokyo citing China's expanding military capabilities and increasingly asse...
U.S. President Donald Trump says Iran has a "last chance" to sign what he described as "a good document", claiming talks are continuing at Tehran's request with backing from Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar.
Tehran had made plans to strike sites in Ukraine after Kyiv attacked an Iranian cargo ship in the Caspian Sea, a senior Iranian military adviser has said. Iran refrained from taking action after Kyiv said the strike was a mistake, Mohsen Rezaei told the state IRIB TV channel.
Indonesian rescue teams are searching for 28 people still unaccounted for, three days after a passenger ferry caught fire off the coast of Madura island.
Two firefighting helicopters collided while battling a major wildfire in Greece on Sunday, killing two crew members as emergency services continued efforts to contain fires fuelled by extreme heat and dry conditions across Europe.
Nauru, the world’s third smallest country, has changed its name to Naoero, the Pacific island nation’s President said. The new name corresponds to the spelling and pronunciation in the national language.
Japan is carrying out its biggest military buildup since World War II, with Tokyo citing China's expanding military capabilities and increasingly assertive regional activities as the main reason for the shift in its defence strategy.
Iran and the U.S. are making conflicting statements about efforts to negotiate the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. President Donald Trump insists talks are under way, while Tehran maintains that negotiations remain on hold.
Romania blasted a rock outcrop to redirect cooling water from the drought-hit Danube River to its only operating nuclear reactor. The unprecedented measure highlights the growing impact of drought and the region's worsening energy crisis.
U.S. President Donald Trump criticised major oil companies, including Chevron and Exxon Mobil, on Monday for earning what he described as excessive profits as renewed tensions with Iran pushed global energy prices higher.
A cyclosporiasis outbreak, the largest ever recorded in the U.S., has caused its first known deaths, health officials in Michigan said on Monday.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment