Death toll from powerful earthquake in Philippines rises to 72

MANILA — The death toll from the magnitude 6.9 earthquake that struck Cebu province in the central Philippines rose to 72, the Philippines' disaster management agency said on Thursday.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported that at least 294 people were injured in the quake that hit Cebu province at 9:59 p.m. local time on Tuesday.

The NDRRMC reported that 30 of the fatalities were recorded in Bogo City, the hardest-hit area, 22 in San Remigio town, 12 in Medellin town, five in Tabogon town, and one each in the municipalities of Sogod, Tabuelan, and Borbon.

The NDRRMC reported that 47,221 families, or 170,959 individuals, were affected, prompting the provincial government to declare the entire province a state of calamity.

It said 87 infrastructures were damaged, along with 597 houses.

The Philippines sits along the Pacific "Ring of Fire," a region prone to earthquakes and volcanic activity, Xinhua news agency reported.

The province of Cebu had declared a state of calamity, enabling the government, particularly local government units, to quickly access emergency funds (calamity funds) to provide relief and rehabilitation, as well as to impose measures such as price freezes on essential goods to protect affected residents.

The reason for frequent and sometimes devastating earthquakes in the Philippines lies beneath its surface: the country sits atop one of the most seismically active regions on Earth, known as the Pacific "Ring of Fire".

This belt is characterised by intense tectonic activity due to the movement and collision of several major and minor plates.

Beneath the central Philippines, two main tectonic factors are at work: the Philippine Sea Plate and the Eurasian Plate.

To the east of the archipelago, the Philippine Sea Plate is subducting (sliding beneath) the Philippine Microplate along the Philippine Trench. Meanwhile, to the west, the Eurasian (Sunda) Plate is moving beneath the Philippine islands along the Manila and Negros Trenches.