At least 18 people were killed and dozens more injured after a powerful 6.9-magnitude earthquake struck Cebu province in the Philippines on Tuesday night, Xinhua reported, citing local media.
The death toll is expected to rise.
According to the Provincial Information Office, SunStar Cebu reported that 13 victims died in Bogo City, the quake’s epicenter, while four more fatalities were confirmed in San Remigio town, northern Cebu. The municipality of Medellin also confirmed at least one death, along with several injuries and damage to two main bridges.
Cebu Provincial Hospital in Bogo City was overwhelmed by the influx of victims, placing immense strain on medical staff.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) initially recorded the tremor at magnitude 6.7 at 9:59 p.m. local time, but later revised it to 6.9 with a depth of five kilometers, about 19 kilometers northeast of Bogo City.
Strong shaking was also felt in several other provinces across central Philippines as well as parts of the south.
The Philippines sits along the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” a region prone to frequent earthquakes and volcanic activity.
