Powerful earthquake in Philippines: death toll rises to 72

The death toll from the 6.9-magnitude earthquake that struck the central Philippines has risen to 72, authorities confirmed on Thursday. According to National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) spokesperson Junie Castillo, all search operations have been completed, with “no more missing persons.” The focus has now turned to helping those injured and displaced by the disaster.

Overnight, rescue teams recovered three additional bodies from the ruins of a collapsed hotel in Bogo City, near the earthquake’s epicenter. With all victims accounted for, some search and rescue units in Cebu province have been ordered to stand down. Government data show at least 294 people were injured and around 20,000 evacuees are sheltering across northern Cebu, many of them sleeping outdoors. Regional officials estimate that more than 110,000 people from 42 communities will need assistance rebuilding their homes and livelihoods.

During a visit to the affected areas on Thursday, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced plans to set up a “tent city” to house residents whose homes were destroyed or who are too frightened to return to their still-standing houses amid ongoing aftershocks. “We will build a tent city that can be quickly assembled and will protect people from the rain,” Marcos said, pledging to provide basic utilities.

Marcos also vowed to restore electricity in Bogo—a city of 90,000—by the end of the day and announced financial aid of 10,000 pesos (about $171) for each family that lost a home. During his visit, he toured a damaged housing project originally built for survivors of Super Typhoon Haiyan in 2013, where eight bodies were recovered.

In a village chapel now serving as a temporary shelter, 18-year-old Diane Madrigal shared her lingering fear: “I’m still scared of the aftershocks. It feels like we have to run again.” Nearby, 43-year-old Lucille Ipil, waiting in line for water, lamented, “The earthquake destroyed our lives. We can’t eat, drink, or bathe properly.”

With the provincial hospital still damaged, many patients remain in tents outside. However, Marcos said government engineers have since declared the building structurally safe, allowing patients to return indoors.

The Philippines sits along the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” a region known for frequent earthquakes and volcanic activity stretching from Japan through Southeast Asia and across the Pacific Ocean.