Strong Earthquake Kills 27 In Central Philippines, Buildings Crumble
Bogo was the epicenter of the temblor where people were crushed when their homes collapsed as the earthquake hit around 10 p.m., the Philippine Daily Inquirer reported.
At least 27 people were killed and more than 100 injured after a 6.9 magnitude earthquake struck central Philippines Tuesday night, causing buildings and churches to cave in and people to rush out of their homes.
“Right now I am in front of the body bags. There are so far confirmed 27 deaths and that is only from Bogo City and neighboring towns,” Ainjeliz Orong, Cebu provincial information officer, told ABS-CBN News Channel on Wednesday. “Most of the residents are in the streets because we are experiencing aftershocks even now.”
Bogo was the epicenter of the temblor where people were crushed when their homes collapsed as the earthquake hit around 10 p.m., the Philippine Daily Inquirer reported, citing the Cebu provincial information office. Some victims in San Remigio town were trapped and crushed by concrete inside a basketball gym, according to the paper.
The national disaster management agency said 147 people were injured and Orong said the number could rise.
“Help is coming. Maybe the president might arrive today,” Cebu Governor Pamela Baricuatro told reporters in a Bogo City hospital, adding that an aerial assessment showed damaged homes and structures. “This is so heartbreaking.”
Baricuatro earlier said she’s in touch with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s office as the quake’s damage “could be worse than we think.” Work and schools in parts of Cebu province, a major industrial and tourist hub, and nearby areas have been suspended, GMA News reported.
Images posted on social media showed people rushing out to the streets, buildings and churches collapsing and other structures taking a hit after the temblor.
Assessment of the damages from the quake is underway, Diego Mariano, spokesman for the national disaster management agency, said by phone. “This was a highly urbanized area so we expect many structures to have been damaged,” he said.
The Philippines is located in the Pacific Ring of Fire, making the archipelago prone to frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
