Manila, Oct 1: The death toll in the 6.9-magnitude earthquake that struck Cebu province in central Philippines could reach up to 70, the Philippines' Office of Civil Defence (OCD) said on Wednesday.

There have been reports that "as many as 60 individuals perished from this earthquake”, but the number of deaths is still subject to validation, Assistant Secretary Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro, the deputy administrator for the OCD, told the press.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council initially reported that 26 people died from the quake, and at least 147 people were injured.

Alejandro said the OCD is still verifying the identities of the missing people, and they have been receiving reports that there are people still trapped in the debris.

The Cebu provincial disast

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