Accra: A strong earthquake jolted the central Philippines on Wednesday evening, toppling old buildings, sending people fleeing in panic and leaving an undetermined number of casualties, local media reported. The quake measured magnitude 6.9, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said. Its epicentre was offshore near Bogo City in Cebu province, about 512 kilometres south of Manila.
According to Ghana News Agency, Phivolcs director Teresito Bacolcol described the event in a radio interview, stating, ‘This is considered a very strong earthquake. We are expecting damage, and we are expecting aftershocks.’ The quake’s impact was immediately evident, with videos on social media showing structures collapsing, including two churches in Cebu province, and crowds running in panic at a Cebu City public market. Dozens of patients in a Cebu hospital were evacuated and are now staying outdoors.
Local media reported ‘multiple deaths’ in San Remigio town in Cebu province, where a basketball game was being held at a sports complex when the quake struck. Some of the fatalities were hit by falling debris as they rushed out of the venue, according to the Manila Bulletin report. Police also reported that a child was pinned to death by falling debris while sleeping in their house in San Remigio.