The death toll from the 6,9-magnitude earthquake that struck the island of Cebu in the Philippines on Tuesday has risen to 72, the civil protection agency announced today, adding that 294 people were injured.
Many buildings collapsed, bridges were destroyed and widespread power outages occurred in areas near the epicenter of the earthquake.
Tuesday's earthquake was the deadliest in the Philippines since 2013, when a 7,2-magnitude quake shook the island of Bohol and killed 222 people.
The Philippines is located on the so-called "Ring of Fire" of the Pacific, where tectonic plates intersect and seismic and volcanic activity is intense.
