The death toll from the powerful 6.9-magnitude earthquake in the central Philippines has climbed to 69 as government agencies work to restore power and water while searching for survivors, a disaster official said on Wednesday.

In Bogo city in the north of Cebu province, which was near the epicentre of the shallow quake that struck off the coast just before 10 p.m. on Tuesday, the hospital has been “overwhelmed,” Civil Defence official Raffy Alejandro told reporters.

The death toll of 69 was based on data from the Cebu provincial disaster office and was subject to validation, said Jane Abapo, an information officer at the regional Civil Defence office. Another official said more than 150 people were injured.

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