Up to 60 people were killed in a powerful quake that struck the central Philippines, a senior rescue official said Wednesday.
“We are receiving additional numbers of reported casualties so this thing is very fluid. We are receiving reports (that) as high as 60 individuals are reported to have perished in this earthquake,” Rafaelito Alejandro, deputy administrator of the government’s Office of Civil Defense told reporters in Manila.
The shallow quake struck off Bogo, a city of 90,000 near the northern tip of the populous island of Cebu late Tuesday, collapsing buildings and tearing up roads.
According to the Cebu Provincial Information Office, nine adults and four minors died in Bogo City—the epicenter of the quake—with most victims crushed when their homes collapsed. In San Remigio, five people were confirmed dead, including a 10-year-old child.
Municipal disaster officer Raymond Frasco said three were members of the Philippine Coast Guard and one from the Bureau of Fire Protection. The four were trapped inside a gymnasium where a basketball game between the two agencies was taking place when the tremor struck.
The town has since been placed under a state of calamity.
In Tabuelan, Mayor Rex Gerona confirmed the death of a senior citizen.
Cebu Governor Pamela Baricuatro said Malacañang has already reached out to extend assistance on behalf of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.
She presided over an emergency meeting at the Capitol and announced the establishment of an Emergency Operations Center in Danao City to coordinate relief efforts in northern Cebu.
Dump trucks and boom trucks from the provincial government will also be deployed to support clearing and rescue operations.
“I urge everyone to remain calm and prioritize safety. Please move to open areas, stay away from walls or structures that may collapse, and stay alert for possible aftershocks,” Baricuatro said.
“Our disaster and emergency teams are now assessing the situation and are ready to respond. We are closely coordinating with local authorities to ensure the safety and well-being of all Cebuanos,” she added.
The tremor struck at 9:59 p.m. that also triggered a minor sea-level disturbance, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), which affected the provinces of Leyte, Cebu, and Biliran.
The tsunami advisory has since been lifted at 1:20 a.m. on October 01, 2025. —With Agence France Presse
Editor’s Note: This story has been updated as latest official death toll was announced.
