A powerful earthquake jolted the Philippines on Tuesday, killing dozens as rescuers searched for survivors in collapsed buildings and landslide-hit villages on the island of Cebu.
The magnitude-6.9 quake struck offshore late on Tuesday, sending residents rushing into the streets as walls crumbled and power lines snapped.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) recorded close to 800 aftershocks by Wednesday afternoon, including one measuring magnitude 6.
Authorities said more tremors were expected but of diminishing strength. There was no tsunami threat.
At least 69 people have been confirmed dead, and 150 people are injured, with hospitals near the epicentre struggling to cope.
In Bogo City, disaster officials said medical centres were overwhelmed, prompting the coast guard to dispatch a vessel carrying doctors, nurses and supplies.
“We are assessing the damage, we are assessing the needs,” president Ferdinand Marcos Jr said, pledging swift aid as cabinet ministers were sent to the region to direct relief operations.
Mariano Martinez, mayor of San Remigio municipality close to the epicentre, said victims included children as young as 12.
“Our first main problem is finding the casualties, identifying people who need help,” he told DZMM radio, warning the toll was likely to climb.
San Remigio’s vice mayor, Alfie Reynes, said some of the dead were killed when a sports complex collapsed during a basketball game. She appealed for food, water and heavy equipment to clear debris.
“It is raining heavily and there is no electricity, so we really need help, especially in the northern part because there’s a scarcity of water after supply lines were damaged by the earthquake,” she said.
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Local media shared images of toppled homes, cracked highways and a church more than a century old reduced to rubble.
In Pilar town, resident Archel Coraza described waking his family as their house shook violently.
“I woke them up and we all rushed outside into the street,” he told Associated Press.
Cebu province, a tourist hub of 3.4 million people, remains without power in many areas. Several villages are cut off by floods and landslides triggered by the tremor and by persistent rain.
The Foreign Office said that those in the affected area should follow the advice of local authorities and emergency services, be aware of the risk of aftershocks, avoid damaged buildings and infrastructure, and monitor local media and official sources for updates.
Those planning to travel to Cebu or nearby provinces are advised to contact their travel provider for updates and ensure their travel insurance covers natural disasters.
The Philippines sits on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” a belt of seismic faults and volcanoes where earthquakes are common. The country’s deadliest in recent decades was the 2013 Bohol quake that killed more than 200 people, not far from Tuesday’s epicentre.
The United States, India, Japan, Australia and the European Union expressed their condolences.
“We stand ready to support the Philippine government’s response as friends, partners, allies,” MaryKay Carlson, US ambassador to the Philippines, said in a post on social media platform X.
Narendra Modi, India’s prime minister, wrote on X: “Deeply saddened to learn about the loss of lives and widespread damage caused by the earthquake in the Philippines.”
“My thoughts and prayers are with the bereaved families. I wish the injured a speedy recovery. India stands in solidarity with the Philippines at this difficult time.”
