The death toll from a 6.9-magnitude earthquake that hit the central Philippines rose to 69 on Wednesday, October 1, 2025.
The shallow earthquake struck late on Tuesday off the coast of the island of Cebu, cutting power and damaging buildings. It was not immediately clear how many people were missing.
The death toll was 69 as of Wednesday morning, said Jane Abapo of the regional Civil Defense office, citing data from the provincial disaster agency that was subject to validation.
The national disaster agency earlier said the toll could be as high as 60, with 150 reported injured.
The hospital in Bogo City near the epicentre of the quake was “overwhelmed”, Civil Defense official Raffy Alejandro told reporters.
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The Philippine coast guard deployed a vessel carrying dozens of doctors, nurses, and other medical personnel bound for Bogo, while President Ferdinand Marcos Jr assured survivors of swift assistance, with cabinet secretaries on the ground directing relief operations.
“We are assessing the damage, we are assessing the needs,” Marcos told reporters after distributing aid in Masbate, an island recovering from the impact of Super typhoon Ragasa last week.
Mariano Martinez, the mayor of San Remigio municipality close to Bogo, said there were 11 casualties in the area, with victims as young as 12, and the death toll expected to climb.
“Our first main problem is finding the casualties, identifying people who needs help”, he told Reuters, adding many homes had suffered damage.
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