Deadly Earthquake measuring 6.9 magnitude hits Visayas region of central Philippines, leaving at least 60 killed and 150 injured as rescuers search for survivors.
A powerful earthquake has struck the central Philippines, leaving at least 60 people dead and more than 150 injured, authorities confirmed on Wednesday.
The 6.9 magnitude quake hit shortly after 10 p.m. local time on Tuesday, just west of the coastal town of Palompon. The tremor, described as shallow by seismologists, brought down buildings, damaged homes and scattered rubble across busy streets, complicating rescue efforts overnight.
Emergency teams, supported by soldiers, police officers and civilian volunteers, worked through the night to search for survivors trapped in collapsed structures. Officials said rescue operations are continuing across the Visayan Islands, with helicopters and boats being deployed to reach remote communities.
“Every minute counts,” one disaster response officer told local media. “We are prioritizing areas where voices or movement have been detected beneath the rubble.”
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More than half a million people across the central Philippines felt the strong shaking, according to the United States Geological Survey. The impact was particularly severe on the islands of Cebu, Biliran and Leyte, where electricity and communications were temporarily cut in several towns.
Hospitals in the region have been overwhelmed with casualties. Medical staff reported treating patients for fractures, head injuries and trauma related to falling debris. In Palompon, a makeshift field hospital was set up to handle the overflow of patients.
The Philippines sits on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” an area of intense seismic and volcanic activity where earthquakes are frequent and often deadly. The country’s worst quake in recent decades struck in 1990, when a magnitude 7.8 tremor killed more than 1,600 people in northern Luzon.
The Philippines President, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. expressed condolences to families of the victims and urged calm as emergency services continue their work. He has ordered the military to provide additional support and instructed government agencies to assess the scale of damage to infrastructure.
As aftershocks rattled the region into Wednesday morning, officials warned residents to stay away from damaged buildings and coastal areas until further assessments are made.
For many in the affected communities, the focus now is on finding missing loved ones and salvaging what remains of their homes.
