Desk Report:
The death toll from a powerful earthquake that struck the central Philippines has climbed to nearly 60. Hospitals on the island of Cebu are overflowing with the injured, chaos is everywhere, and rescue workers are carrying dozens of bodies in bags.
According to the US Geological Survey (USGS), the shallow earthquake measuring 6.9 on the Richter scale struck the northern part of Cebu island at 9:59 pm local time on Tuesday, near Bogo, a city of about 90,000 people.
Hundreds of aftershocks were felt after the earthquake, prompting panicked patients to be evacuated from the building at the Bogo Provincial Hospital in Cebu. Tents are being set up on the driveway of the entrance to the Cebu Provincial Hospital in Bogor to treat the injured, including children. The atmosphere around the hospital area has become heavy with people screaming.
AFP reporters reported that hospital workers were loading bodies onto stretchers in black bags into vans. The morgue was running out of space. Civil Defense Deputy Administrator Rafaelito Alejandro said about 60 people had been reported dead so far, but the number could rise.
Teddy Fontillas, a 56-year-old rescue worker, said that some patients had to be transferred to Cebu City, the capital of Cebu province, about 100 kilometers (60 miles) away, as hospitals in Bogor were overwhelmed. “We can’t handle the pressure of the injured. But we are doing what we need to do,” he said.
The quake damaged at least 22 buildings across the central archipelago. Footage captured by local residents and going viral on social media showed the bell tower of an old Catholic church on Bantayan island near Cebu collapsing loudly in the courtyard. In addition, shoppers took shelter under restaurant tables after the metal ceiling of a shopping mall in Cebu City collapsed. Local television footage showed motorcyclists clinging to railings as a bridge shook violently. A commercial building and a school on Bantayan Island also collapsed.
The National Grid Corporation said the quake knocked out power, but power was restored to Cebu and four other major central islands shortly after midnight.
Darkness and frequent aftershocks hampered rescue efforts overnight. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said about 379 tremors had struck the region so far. The Cebu provincial government called for medical volunteers to help deal with the situation on its official Facebook page.
The Philippines is located on the Pacific Ring of Fire, so mild earthquakes occur almost every day. However, such powerful and destructive earthquakes are rare.
