Philippines death toll from 6.9 magnitude earthquake nears 70

The Office of the Civil Defense said that so far, 30 fatalities have been reported from Bogo City, 22 from San Remigio, 10 from Medellin, five from Tabogon, and one each from Sogod and Tabuelan, according to local media outlet ABS-CBN.

The quake, which struck at 9.59 pm (1359GMT) Tuesday, was centered 21 kilometers (13 miles) northeast of Bogo City at a shallow depth of 5 kilometers (3 miles), according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology.

The US Geological Survey initially recorded the magnitude of the quake as 7.0, before revising it downward.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, however, said there was no significant tsunami threat.

Rescue and search teams had already arrived in the affected areas while aftershocks were continuing in the region.

Authorities fear the death toll could rise further.

The quake also caused a sports complex to collapse in northern Cebu during a basketball game, where several people were reported dead and injured.

The St. Peter and Paul Church on Bantayan Island was also reported to have collapsed during the quake.

A fast-food chain building also partially collapsed in Bogo in the Cebu region.

Classes at schools were suspended for Wednesday in several parts of Cebu, including Lapu-Lapu, Mandaue, Talisay, Minglanilla, Consolacion and Liloan.

The quake struck just a week after the country was hit by two typhoons, which killed many people and damaged infrastructure and crops.