Philippines quake death toll rises to 69, official says

MANILA — The death toll from a 6.9-magnitude earthquake that hit the central Philippines has risen to 69, a disaster official said on Wednesday as the government mobilised agencies to search for survivors and restore power and water supplies. In Bogo city in the north of Cebu province, which was near the epicentre of the shallow quake that struck off the coast just before 10 p.m. on Tuesday, the hospital has been "overwhelmed," Civil Defense official Raffy Alejandro told reporters. The death toll of 69 was based on data from the Cebu provincial disaster office and was subject to validation, said Jane Abapo, an information officer at the regional Civil Defense office. Another official said more than 150 people were injured. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr assured survivors of swift assistance, saying cabinet secretaries were on the ground directing relief operations, as he expressed his condolences to those who lost loved ones. Cebu, one of the Philippines' most popular tourist destinations, is home to 3.4 million people. Despite the damage, Mactan-Cebu International Airport, the country'Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times