The numbers of those dead or injured in the powerful Tuesday tremor could rise as officials scramble to respond to the disaster near the coastal city of Bogo.
Sept. 30 More than 50 people are dead after a powerful 6.9-magnitude earthquake struck the central Philippines on Tuesday night, causing power outages and triggering a state of emergency.
The earthquake occurred northeast of the coast from Bogo, a costal city of about 90,000, shortly before 10 p.m. local time, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology.
The Bogo City Hospital reported a death toll of 53 as of Wednesday morning, which could rise as more bodies are brought to the facility, reported ABS-CBN News. That included a 10-year-old boy from a nearby town who died after being trapped in the rubble.
Capt. Jan Ace Elcid Layug, head of the police force in nearby San Remigio, told the news outlet that the victims included a local firefighter and members of the coast guard.
