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| Residents watch as rescuers retrieve bodies of victims found under the rubble of a damaged pension house in the aftermath of a magnitude 6.9 quake in Bogo, Cebu, Philippines, October 1, 2025. REUTERS/Eloisa Lopez |
In its latest report, the agency confirmed that an additional 294 people have been injured. The updated death toll is an increase of three from the previous day's count, with all fatalities recorded in the Central Visayas region, which bore the brunt of the tremor.
The shallow earthquake struck late at night off the coast of Cebu island, a major economic and tourist hub. The powerful shaking caused significant damage to infrastructure, downing power lines, damaging bridges, and causing numerous buildings to collapse. Among the structures destroyed was a historic, century-old church, a significant cultural loss for the local community.
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| Residents watch as rescuers retrieve bodies of victims found under the rubble of a damaged pension house in the aftermath of a magnitude 6.9 quake in Bogo, Cebu, Philippines, October 1, 2025. REUTERS/Eloisa Lopez |
Rescue and recovery operations are ongoing, with emergency crews working to clear debris and search for any remaining survivors.
This is now the country's deadliest earthquake since at least 2013, when a 7.2 magnitude quake struck the neighboring island of Bohol, killing 222 people.
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| A drone view shows rescue workers conducting a rescue operation at a collapsed building in the aftermath of a magnitude 6.9 quake in Bogo, Cebu, Philippines, October 1, 2025. REUTERS/ Adrian Portuga |
The Philippines is located on the seismically active Pacific "Ring of Fire," an arc of volcanoes and fault lines where the majority of the world's earthquakes occur. The country experiences more than 800 earthquakes each year, though most are too weak to be felt.