Strong 6.9 magnitude earthquake strikes central Philippines

By Brandon Miller, Eve Brennan, CNN

(CNN) — A strong earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.9 struck the central Philippines around 10 p.m. local time, according to the US Geological Survey, raising fears about damage and the possibility of a localized tsunami.

A quake of this strength in the region could cause casualties and considerable damage to poorly built structures, early survey models suggest.

The earthquake occurred only 10 kilometers (6 miles) underwater, just west of Palompon in the Philippines and close to the city of Bogo in Cebu province.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) issued an orange-level tsunami alert in the Leyte, Biliran, and Cebu provinces, advising people to keep away from the coastlines and urging those living by the coast to evacuate inland.

Authorities in Bogo announced on Facebook that rescue efforts were underway.

More than half a million people felt very strong shaking across the Visayan Islands, which include Cebu, Biliran, and Leyte in central Philippines, according to estimates from US Geological Survey models (USGS).

Very strong shaking will bring “considerable damage in poorly built or badly designed structures” as well as “slight to moderate damage in well-built ordinary structures,” according to the USGS.

The worst of the shaking was likely felt in the northern portions of Cebu and Leyte islands.

The Philippines sits along the Ring of Fire, a 25,000-mile (40,000-kilometer) arc of seismic fault lines around the Pacific Ocean that hosts more than half of the world’s volcanoes.

In 2022, a 7.0-magnitude earthquake in northern Luzon – the country’s most populous island – killed at least five and injured over 100 people. In 2019, a 6.1-magnitude earthquake, also in Luzon, killed at least 11.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

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