(2nd UPDATE) The death toll from the 6.9-magnitude earthquake that devastated northern Cebu on Tuesday night, September 30, climbed to 64 on Wednesday, October 1.
The Cebu Provincial Risk Reduction and Management Office has reported an updated death toll as more bodies are recovered from collapsed homes and buildings.
Bogo City, the quake’s epicenter, recorded the highest fatalities with nine residents confirmed dead. The list of casualties also included three coast guard personnel, a firefighter, and a child from the nearby towns of Medellin and San Remigio.
Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) reported hundreds of aftershocks since the late-night tremor, jolting residents already gripped by fear and uncertainty.
Teams of rescuers and medical workers fanned out across northern Cebu at daybreak, pulling survivors from rubble and rushing the injured to hospitals.
In Bogo City, the Cebu Provincial Hospital struggled to cope with the flood of victims, forcing doctors to treat patients in hallways and hospital grounds.
Governor Pamela Baricuatro mobilized provincial medical teams and appealed for volunteers to reinforce overstretched hospitals.
She also confirmed that Malacañang will send relief and emergency support to the province.*
Reymund Titong is a Filipino journalist steadily building his voice in the field of news reporting, driven by a commitment to tell meaningful and relevant stories.
He serves as a correspondent for Rappler, maintains a personal blog on Medium, and is the communications officer of Hope Builders Organization Negros Island.