Strong Earthquake Jolts Central Philippines, Damages Church, Cuts Power (Video)
Key Facts
- Cebu and the wider Central Visayas were jolted by a powerful earthquake measuring at least 6.7–6.9, causing chaos in the streets and sending residents fleeing.
- Historic churches and commercial buildings, including the St. Peter and Paul Church and a Cebu City mall, sustained significant damage, while power outages spread across towns.
- Eyewitnesses described panic, dizziness, and prayers for protection, with memories resurfacing of the deadly 2013 quake that devastated the region.
- The Philippines, already battered by recent super storms, faces ongoing vulnerability as it sits on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” where earthquakes, volcanoes, and typhoons regularly strike.
by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent
CEBU CITY, PHILIPPINES (Worthy News) – Witnesses told Worthy News that a powerful earthquake with a magnitude of at least 6.7 shook the central Philippines late Tuesday, sending people fleeing into the streets, damaging a historic stone church, a mall ,and knocking out power in some areas.
Video obtained by Worthy News showed residents running out of a building in Cebu province, part of the Central Visayas region , where the earthquake caused chaos in the streets. The area’s notorious night traffic struggled along shaking roads.
“We’re experiencing here a 6.7 magnitude earthquake,” confirmed Christian aid worker Merry Joy Osman to Worthy News speaking from Cebu City, the capital of Cebu province and a major island in Central Visayas region. “I was about to grab dinner outside when our office building suddenly shook. I was shocked and afraid to go outside, so I stayed under the table while listening to what was happening. I noticed something falling,” recalled Osman. “There was suddenly no electricity. [Despite the darkness], I was rushing to get home since my daughter, Ashley, is alone. Thank God she’s okay.”
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) said the earthquake had a magnitude of 6.9 when it struck in waters about 100 km (62 miles) from Cebu City, which has a population of nearly 1 million.
Authorities said an aftershock of magnitude 5.2 was also reported from the region.
PRAYING IN MALL
“Please kindly pray for us. We have a magnitude here just right now, 6.7 magnitude,” said Emely Wagas, a local Bible teacher and municipal worker. “I feel dizzy, all we feel dizzy,” she added, recalling the “traumatic” 2013 earthquake that reached 7.3 magnitude.
A video reviewed by Worthy News depicted store employees within a mall at South Road Properties in Cebu City, the provincial capital, seeking safety following the partial collapse of the establishment during the earthquake. “Lord, please send some help, Lord,” a person could be heard praying.
In the Cebu province town of Daanbantayan, power was cut, and damage was reported to a stone church.
Worthy News also saw a video showing the St. Peter and Paul Church in Cebu’s Bantayan Island, one of the oldest churches in the region, suffering severe damage in the earthquake. The cross fell from the roof along with other parts of the stone church.
Residents across the wider Central Visayas region felt strong shaking, sparking panic as people rushed from buildings.
QUAKE’S SHALLOW DEPTH
Experts noted that the quake’s shallow depth made it more intensely felt across nearby islands, with shallow tremors typically causing greater local damage than deeper ones.
The Philippines, located on the volatile Pacific “Ring of Fire,” is among the world’s most disaster-prone countries, facing frequent earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and around 20 typhoons or storms each year.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology warned of possible damage and aftershocks and briefly raised a tsunami alert for the Cebu, Leyte, and Biliran regions.
The latest tremor struck as the Philippines, a heavily Catholic nation, is still reeling from the aftermath of several recent superstorms that killed dozens.
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