On Tuesday a 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck the central Philippine island of Bohol, killing 93 people. Dennis Agustin, police chief in Bohol spoke with Fox News saying 77 people were killed in Bohol province, another 15 people died in Cebu province and at least one person was killed on Siquijor Island. The earthquake hit at 8:12am local time and was centered about 20 miles below the city of Carmen. A number of small buildings in Carmen collapsed during the quake.
Rescue workers were having a hard time getting to patients trapped in a collapsed hospital and the condition of the roads also hindered other rescue operations. There were a large number of roads and bridges with reports of damage. Some of the more historical buildings in the region suffered the most damage. The buildings date back to Spain's colonial period. The Basilica of the Holy Child in Cebu was the most damaged of these buildings having lost its bell tower.
According to CNN, there are at least 33 people missing and at least 164 people injured. Many of the deaths resulted from people being struck with falling debris. As dangerous as it is to be outside, Maryann Zamora with the charity World Vision told CNN that it is more dangerous for people to be inside than out on the street. Via a phone interview with the news agency Zamora said, "Right now we are in the streets because it is unsafe to be inside. Tell everyone to pray for us."
Following the initial earthquake there were 10 aftershocks. On Tuesday afternoon, officials were warning residents to stay out of major buildings until they could be confirmed as safe. Officials also warned of landslides resulting from the aftershocks. President Benigno S. Aquino III is scheduled to visit the damaged areas on Wednesday. Officials declared the two islands of Cebu and Bohol as being in a state of calamity. The government has already authorized national assistance to the areas.
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