At least 60 people have died in central Philippines as a result of a 6.9 degree earthquake
Most of the casualties have been recorded in Bogotá, north of the Cebu region and in one of the nearest areas of the epicenter.
The Philippine authorities have recorded at least 60 deaths as a result of the 6.9 degree earthquake there, which has also left dozens injured and material damage, causing the region to declare a state of calamity.
"60 people have died as a result of the earthquake," said Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro, deputy secretary of the Civil Defence Office.
"The situation is very serious," said Alejandro, due to the difficulties faced by rescue teams due to power cuts caused by the earthquake in Cebu province.
The 6.9 degree earthquake took place at 21:59 local time (13:59 GMT) on Tuesday, 10 kilometres deep from the city of Bogo, according to the Philippine seismology agency (Phivolcs).
Most of the victims are in Bogo, north of the Cebu region and one of the closest to the epicenter.
In addition to leaving dead and wounded, the earthquake has caused extensive damage to several infrastructure in Cebu province, according to provincial governor Pam Barica.
"The severe earthquake that struck Cebu last night has been a major challenge for our province," Deputy Governor Glenn Soco said in a statement declaring the state of calamity and stating that the measure is necessary to "mobilize resources, provide immediate assistance to affected families and implement rehabilitation measures."
Typhoon Bualoi hit the center of the Philippines hard last weekend, killing 14 people and forcing the evacuation of 350,000 people.
The archipelago is located on the Pacific Ring of Fire, an area of high seismic and volcanic activity, with about 7,000 earthquakes per year, mostly of medium magnitude.