Philippines Earthquake: Death Toll Climbs to 72, Urgent Search for Survivors Underway in Cebu

The death toll from a powerful 6.9 magnitude earthquake that struck the central Philippines has climbed to at least 72, with over 200 injured, as rescuers in Cebu province race against time to find survivors. The shallow quake, which hit around 10 p.m. Tuesday night, has devastated communities in Bogo city and surrounding rural towns, trapping an unknown number of residents.

Emergency teams, utilizing backhoes and sniffer dogs, are meticulously sifting through collapsed homes and damaged structures. Efforts are severely hampered by sporadic rain and compromised bridges and roads, making access to hard-hit areas challenging. Despite working through Wednesday night, no survivors have yet been pulled from the rubble of a collapsed building in Bogo city, underscoring the grim reality of the ongoing search.

Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro IV, deputy administrator of the Office of Civil Defense, emphasized the critical “golden hour” for search and rescue operations, noting numerous reports of people pinned by debris. The earthquake’s epicenter was just 19 kilometers (12 miles) northeast of Bogo, a coastal city of 90,000, where roughly half of the reported fatalities occurred.

The disaster has left a region already reeling from a recent tropical storm in a state of trauma. Thousands of residents, terrified by the more than 600 aftershocks, have opted to stay in open fields overnight despite the rain. Schools and government offices remain closed as structural safety assessments are underway. The Philippines, situated on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” is highly susceptible to seismic activity and frequent typhoons, making it one of the world’s most disaster-prone countries.

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