Devastating Quake Rocks Central Philippines, Leaving Catastrophic Destruction

An offshore earthquake with a magnitude of 6.9 shook the central Philippine province on Tuesday, leading to the collapse of buildings and walls, and killing at least 31 people. The seismic event sent residents fleeing into the dark as the power was knocked out, officials confirmed.

The quake's epicenter, triggered by a fault movement at a depth of 5 kilometers, was recorded about 19 kilometers northeast of Bogo, a coastal city in Cebu province with a population of approximately 90,000. At least 14 deaths were reported in Bogo, with the toll expected to climb further, according to disaster-mitigation officer Rex Ygot.

Rescue efforts are underway in hazardous conditions, as workers move in equipment to aid searches in a mountain village hit by a landslide. Gerald R. Cañete reported significant infrastructure damage, including cracked roads and a collapsed church wall. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology briefly issued a tsunami warning, which was later lifted.