BOGO CITY, Philippines (AP)โ – Rescuers are racing against time to find survivors trapped beneath rubble following a powerful earthquake that โstruck theโข Philippines on Tuesdayโค night, leaving at least 72 people dead.โ The 6.9 magnitude temblor caused widespread damage across the Visayas region, especially in โขCebu โคand Bohol provinces.
The earthquake, centered near โคBogo City, Cebu, triggered โฃlandslides and building collapses, hindering rescue efforts. Moreโค thanโค 600โ aftershocks have been recorded sence the initial quake, complicating the search for those โstill missing andโฃ raising โfears ofโ further structural failures. Philippine Instituteโฃ of Volcanology and Seismology director Teresito Bacolcolโค warned that rain-soaked mountainsides areโ now highly โvulnerable to land- and mudslides, exacerbating the crisis.
Initial reports indicate Cebu Provincial โขHospital in โฃbogo โCity sustained meaningful damage, with images showing a man resting beside bodies of earthquake victims outside theโ facility.schools and government offices in affected areas โฃhave been closed for safety inspections.
“Thisโข wasโข really traumatic to people.They’ve beenโฃ lashed byโค a storm then jolted by an earthquake,” Bacolcol said, expressing concern for theโ affected communities.
The Philippines is situated on theโ Pacific “Ring of Fire,” โขa regionโค prone to frequent seismic activity and โvolcanic eruptions. The archipelago also endures approximately 20 typhoons and storms annually, making it oneโข of the world’s most disaster-prone nations.
The Associatedโฃ press’s Jim Gomez in Manila contributed to this report.
