Philippine earthquake death toll climbs; Search for survivors continues

Destroyed church in Daanbantayan town in northern Cebu. Photo courtesy of Shrine of Santa Rosa de Lima/Facebook

By Jinky J. Jorgio

Manila— The Philippine province of Cebu has been placed under a state of calamity as search and rescue teams scrambled to look for more survivors following a 6.9 magnitude earthquake that killed dozens and injured more than a hundred on Tuesday night.

Death reports varied between 26 and 69.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council of the Philippines has reported 147 injuries. 

Philippine President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. is set to fly to Cebu today to inspect the damage.

Army troops, police and civilian volunteers, equipped with backhoes and sniffer dogs, were deployed Wednesday morning to carry out a search and rescue. 

“We’re still in the golden hour of our search and rescue,” Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro IV,  Office of Civil Defense deputy administrator, said in a news briefing. “There are still many reports of people who were pinned or hit by debris.”

Alejandro said the Philippine government is considering seeking help from foreign governments, depending on the result of the damage assessment.

Remains of those who perished lay outside the provincial hospital in Bogo City, Cebu. Photo courtesy of CDN

According to the Philippine News Agency, the city government of Bogo passed a resolution placing the city under a state of calamity due to multiple deaths, widespread damage to public infrastructure and private properties, and the disruption of basic services.

“Initial rapid assessment from frontline offices and agencies shows unfathomable damage, multiple casualties, displaced residents and disruption of essential services,” the Bogo City resolution read.

Deaths were reported from the outlying towns of Medellin and San Remigio, where three coast guard personnel, a firefighter, and a child were killed separately by collapsing walls and falling debris while trying to flee to safety from a basketball game in a sports complex that was disrupted by the quake, local government officials reported.

The earthquake, which struck while many people slept or were at home, was one of the most powerful to batter the central region in more than a decade.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology briefly issued a tsunami warning, advising residents to stay away from the coastlines of Cebu and the nearby provinces of Leyte and Biliran due to possible waves of up to 1 meter. 

An earthquake survivor inspects the rubble of a collapsed home in Bogo City. Photo courtesy of CDN

Schools and government offices were closed in the quake-hit cities and towns while the safety of buildings was checked.

More than 600 aftershocks have been detected after Tuesday night’s temblor, according to Teresito Bacolcol, director of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology.

Rain-soaked mountainsides were more susceptible to land and mudslides in a major earthquake, he warned.

The Philippines, one of the world’s most disaster-prone countries, is often hit by earthquakes and volcanic eruptions due to its location on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” an arc of seismic faults around the ocean. The archipelago is also lashed by about 20 typhoons and storms each year.

Guam Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero extended her condolences to the people of the Philippines.

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“We are heartbroken by the loss of life and destruction caused by this powerful earthquake,” Leon Guerrero said.

“Though Guam faces its own challenges, we cannot allow ourselves to become numb to the suffering of others, especially our brothers and sisters in the Philippines, with whom we share such deep ties of family, history, and friendship. Guam stands ready to help in any way possible.”

The Governor emphasized that Guam’s government and community remain committed to supporting the Philippines in the wake of this tragedy.

“As relief efforts continue, we will share information with the public on concrete ways to help,” the governor added. “In times of crisis, our shared humanity must always guide us to compassion and action.”

Archbishop Ryan P. Jimenez asked the people of Guam to pray especially for those killed by the earthquake.

“There is terrible suffering in the Philippines, particularly by those who have lost or are missing loved ones due to the earthquake,” Ryan said.

“There is also tremendous trauma and fear by the general Filipino population in the area, anxious that more tremors will befall the people. Therefore, may I ask our Catholics and all people to kindly offer prayers for our neighbors in Christ, for whom we share indelible cultural, spiritual and familial bonds.”

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