State of calamity in Philippines province as earthquake kills 69

PHILIPPINES: At least 69 people have been killed and dozens injured after a powerful 6.9 magnitude earthquake struck the central Philippines late on Tuesday.

The province of Cebu, which suffered the brunt of the damage, declared a state of calamity early on Wednesday, after thousands spent the night on the streets amid repeated aftershocks.

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One Cebu resident told the BBC he was among them, adding that power and water supplies were cut off. He says the voices of crying children could be heard around him, adding that they were “traumatised”.

The earthquake comes barely more than a week after the country was hit by back-to-back typhoons which killed more than a dozen people.