Reported death toll in Cebu earthquake rises to 60 —OCD

The reported death toll due to the magnitude 6.9 earthquake that hit Bogo City, Cebu on Tuesday evening has increased to 60, according to the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) on Wednesday. 

“We are receiving additional numbers of reported casualties. Kaya very fluid pa po (So it's still very fluid),” OCD officer-in-charge Assistant Secretary Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro IV said in a press conference. 

“We are receiving reports as high as 60 individuals are reported to have perished dito sa lindol na ito (in this earthquake),” he added. 

The magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck Bogo City in Cebu at 9:59 p.m., according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS).

The epicenter of the earthquake was located at 11.09°N, 124.13°E - 017 km N 73° E of City of Bogo (Cebu).

The quake was initially reported as a magnitude 6.7 before being upgraded to 6.9. It had a depth of 5 km and was tectonic in origin.

Bogo City

In Bogo City, the epicenter of the earthquake, the bodies of some fatalities were lined up outside a hospital, according to a report of GMA Regional TV's Alan Domingo on Unang Balita. 

Injured individuals were also rushed to different hospitals.

Sogod and Cebu City

Many old buildings including churches were damaged from the earthquake. In the town of Sogod, responders were having a hard time retrieving the body of a 67-year-old victim after a big rock fell on their house.

In Cebu City, some hotels and malls also sustained damage. The walls and tiles cracked while ceilings partially collapsed due to the earthquake, according to a report on Unang Balita.

Employees were evacuated from their workplaces for their safety.

State of calamity

The province of Cebu has been placed under a state of calamity.

The Archdiocese of Cebu meanwhile issued an advisory asking parishes in northern Cebu affected by the earthquake not to use the churches to celebrate Mass until such time that they are declared safe to use.

Among the structures affected badly is the Archdiocesan Shrine of Santa Rosa de Lima in Daanbantayan town. 

Iloilo City

In Iloilo City, the residents of a condominium in the Jaro district went outside of their units, according to a report of  GMA Regional TV’s Kim Salinas.

The earthquake also interrupted a wake inside a church.

Bicol

In the Bicol Region, the earthquake was also felt, according to a report of GMA Integrated News’ James Agustin.

A transformer sparked in the town of Oas.

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. ordered various government agencies to mobilize and provide immediate aid to communities affected by the earthquake.

Marcos also expressed his sympathies to families who lost their loved ones following the earthquake.

More than 600 aftershocks have so far been recorded by PHIVOLCS.

The Visayas power grid meanwhile will be placed on yellow alert on Wednesday as several power plants went on forced outage following the earthquake. 

In an advisory, the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines said the yellow alert will be hoisted from 1 p.m. to 12 midnight on October 1, 2025. A yellow alert is issued when the operating margin is insufficient to meet the transmission grid’s contingency requirement. 

Classes and work were suspended in many areas due to the earthquake. —KG, GMA Integrated News