MANILA: Dozens of people were killed after a magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck a central Philippine province, officials said on Wednesday, as they declared a state of calamity in the whole island province of Cebu.
The quake struck off the northern part of the island overnight, with the epicenter in Bogo City — the worst-hit area, where the Office of Civil Defense recorded 30 deaths. The toll of 69 was expected to rise as civilian and army rescuers continued to look for survivors amid the rubble.
More than 200 people were injured in Bogo — a coastal city with a population of about 90,000 — and surrounding towns, including San Remigio — the second worst-affected, where 22 were killed. Since the morning patients were seen waiting outside hospitals, after tremors severely damaged the infrastructure and knocked out 27 power plants.
“We are still within the golden hour of rescue operations, and we’re still receiving reports that some villages need assistance,” Office of Civil Defense Deputy Administrator Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro IV told reporters.
“Many have been reported trapped or pinned under debris because of the earthquake, so operations are ongoing.”
