More than 60 people were reported dead following the 6.9-magnitude earthquake in Cebu, with the Office of the Civil Defense (OCD) warning that the toll could still rise as search and rescue operations continue.
At a press briefing on Wednesday morning, October 1, OCD Officer-in-Charge Asec. Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro IV said the death toll from the deadly quake had climbed to ‘as high as 60,’ with many of the fatalities reported from a hospital in Bogo City.
He said the country remains in the ‘golden hour’ of the earthquake’s aftermath – a critical period when swift response can still save lives.
With red alert status raised and full staffing deployed, authorities have prioritized search and rescue operations as many remain trapped beneath the rubble of collapsed buildings.
Cebu Gov. Pam Baricuatro earlier confirmed that most of the casualties were from Bogo, the area closest to the quake’s epicenter, where roughly 90,000 people reside.
As of 9:30 a.m., the Joint Operation Center in Bogo City, led by Baricuatro, reported 53 deaths and 154 injuries, which include 30 in Bogo, 10 in Medellin, 11 in San Remigio, and one each in Sogod and Tabuelan.
Authorities are still assessing the extent of the destruction, but the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) earlier reported damage to at least 22 structures, six roads and bridges.
Several homes, establishments and even churches were reduced to ruins due to the earthquake.
Cebu has been placed under a state of calamity, allowing the province to tap 30% of its local quick response fund for rehabilitation efforts.
The 6.9-magnitude earthquake struck north of Bogo late Tuesday night, September 30, at a shallow depth, registering its strongest shaking at Intensity VII.
The quake’s strength is close to the anticipated ‘Big One,’ a 7.2-magnitude quake projected along the West Valley Fault in Metro Manila.