A strong earthquake kills at least 20 in the center of the Philippines, damages houses and buildings

An earthquake of Magality of 6.9 of 6.9 in offshore collapsed the walls of houses and buildings on Tuesday evening in a province of the Center of the Philippines, killing at least 20 people, injuring many others and sending residents rushing out of the obscurity while the Intense shakes, said officials.

The epicenter of the earthquake, which was launched by a local fault, was about 17 kilometers northeast of Bogo, a coastal city of around 90,000 people in the province of Cebu where at least 14 residents died, said Rex Ygot, responsible for the attenuation of disasters, by telephone.

The number of deaths in Bogo had to increase.

The workers were trying to transport a retro shovel to accelerate research and rescue efforts in a group of benches in a mountain village struck by a landslide and rocks, he said. “It is difficult to move to the region because there are dangers,” said Glenn Ursal, another disaster mitigation agent, adding that some survivors have been brought to the hospital.

Six people, including three staff of the coastal guard, firefighter and children, were killed in the city of San Remigio, south of Bogo, the city’s vice-mayor, Alfie Reynes, told DZM Radio Network without explaining how the victims died.

Reynes called for food and water, saying that the San Remigio water system has been damaged by the earthquake. Heavy equipment may be necessary to deal with damage to mountain villages in the region, said Reynes.

In Bogo, the earthquake damaged concrete house walls, a fire station and concrete and asphalt roads, said firefighter Rey Cañete.

“We were in our barracks to retire for the day the ground started to tremble and we rushed but we came across the ground because of the intense tremors,” said Cañete on the AP by phone, adding that he and three other firefighters underwent cuts and bruises.

A concrete wall in their fire station has collapsed, said Cañete.

He and his colleagues firefighters provided first aid to at least three residents, who were injured by the fall in debris and the collapse of the walls, including an elderly man with head injuries who were taken to a neighboring hospital, he said, adding that more residents may probably have been injured due to intense tremors.

Look | 6.9 Magnids of the Servaces Shakes Central Philippines:

At least 20 killed after 6.9 earthquake tremors in the Philippines | Hanomansing tonight

At least 20 people were killed after an earthquake of 6.9 coarse in the Philippines, said a government official. The epicenter of the earthquake was about 17 kilometers north-east of Bogo, a coastal city of around 90,000 people in the province of Cebu.

Hundreds of terrified residents gathered in darkness in a grassy field near the fire station and refused to go home after the earthquake struck in Bogo.

Several companies have visibly suffered damage, and the asphalt and concrete roads where they have passed had deep cracks, said Cañete, adding that an old Roman Catholic church in the city of Daanbantayan near Bogo was also damaged.

Cebu governor, Pamela Baricatro, said that an unpertained number of houses and a hospital had been damaged in Bogo and elsewhere and that emergency medical teams were deployed to treat residents who were pinned and injured.

The scale of damage and injuries would only be known during the day, she said.

“We are already sending a trauma team there, the doctors and nurses are on their way,” Baricuatro told DZMM Radio Network. “We need medication, food, medical teams.”

The Philippin Institute of Volcanology and Seismology briefly issued a warning from Tsunami and advised people to stay far from the Côtes de Cebu and the neighboring provinces of Leyte and Biliran due to possible one meter waves.

Teresito Bacolcol, director of the Institute, told the AP that Tsunami’s warning had been lifted later without unusual waves.

The provinces of the Center of the Philippines were still recovering from a storm that struck on Friday, killing at least 27 dead mainly due to drownings and falls, eliminating power in cities and whole cities and forcing the evacuation of tens of thousands of people.

The Philippines, one of the countries most subject to disasters in the world, are often affected by earthquakes and volcanic eruptions because of its location on the Pacific Ring of Fire, an arc of seismic defects around the ocean.

The archipelago also entered by around 20 typhoons and storms each year.