Breaking: Deadly 6.9 Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Central Philippines, Five Confirmed Dead
Breaking: Deadly 6.9 Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Central Philippines, Five Confirmed Dead
A powerful 6.9-magnitude earthquake rocked the central Philippines late Tuesday, September 30, 2025, claiming at least five lives and causing significant damage across the Visayan Islands. The quake, striking around 10 p.m. local time, has prompted an urgent response from authorities as fears of mounting casualties persist.
The US Geological Survey (USGS) reported the epicenter just 10 kilometers (6 miles) underwater, west of Palompon and near the city of Bogo in Cebu province. Early models suggest a quake of this intensity in the region could cause widespread damage to poorly built structures.
Local reports from ABS-CBN, citing Police Capt. Jan Ace Elcid Layug, confirm at least five fatalities in San Remigio, Cebu. Among the dead are a child, a local firefighter, and three members of the Philippine Coast Guard. Footage circulating on social media shows the immediate aftermath, including a fire erupting at a mall in Cebu, a badly damaged McDonald’s, and panic as beauty pageant contestants fled a stage.
The Philippine Red Cross has received reports of debris, structural cracks in schools, and temporary power failures in Cebu. While the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) canceled a tsunami alert for Leyte, Biliran, and Cebu provinces early Wednesday, multiple aftershocks have been recorded.
Cebu Governor Pam Baricuatro has urged residents to remain calm, confirming that the presidential office will send immediate aid. Classes are suspended indefinitely in Medellin municipality, Cebu, and work is halted pending structural assessments. The USGS estimates over half a million people experienced very strong shaking, capable of causing considerable damage to vulnerable structures and moderate damage to well-built buildings.
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