Death toll from Philippines quake nears 100, more people missing

Reuters ^ | 10/16/2013 | Erik de Castro

[TexGrill]

(Reuters) - The death toll from a strong earthquake in the central Philippines has risen to almost 100, officials said on Wednesday, and rescuers were digging through the rubble of a church and a hospital in search of more victims.

At least 10 people were missing under the collapsed public hospital, church and a home in the town of Loon on Bohol island, 630 km (390 miles) south of Manila, which bore the brunt of the 7.2 quake on Tuesday.

The quake caused landslides and widespread damage to infrastructure in Bohol and nearby Cebu, with close to three million people affected. The number of people injured in the quake climbed towards 280.

At least 90 of those killed were in Bohol, the national disaster agency said. Officials feared the toll would rise further as communications with damaged villages were re-established.

"I think this is a growing number, yesterday we had a partial communications block-out," Loon mayor Lloyd Lopez told Philippine radio.

At least a third of the deaths on Bohol island were in Loon, a town of about 43,000 people. One of those was the body of a schoolgirl found late on Tuesday under the rubble of a collapsed high school in Maribojoc town, adjacent to Loon.

[TexGrill]

Global business tip

[B4Ranch]

I saw a post from AlexW and he’s OK.

[JimSEA]

That’s good to know.

[Colofornian]

...the 7.2 quake on Tuesday...(390 miles) south of Manila

Odd coincidence.

An earthquake -- centered 385 miles southeast of Manila (Dozens dead as magnitude-7.1 earthquake hits the Philippines [very early Tuesday morning]...
...occurring less than a 24-hour day after a cult besieged Manilla Phillippines with 1.5 to 3 million of its adherents: Christian sect brings Philippines capital Manila to a standstill:

Monday, Oct. 14: The gathering of the secretive and politically influential Iglesia ni Cristo (Church of Christ) in the historic district of Manila forced all schools and some government offices to close...Between two and three million people attended the event either as a church follower or aid recipient, according to Manila's police chief, Isagani Genade. The organisers estimated the crowd at between 1.5 million and two million people.

For more on the cult:

"The Iglesia ni Cristo proclaims itself to be the one true church and claims that it is the restoration of the original church founded by Jesus and that all other Christian churches including the Roman Catholic Church are apostate...Christ and the Apostles are united in teaching how many and who is the real God. Similar to other true Christians, according to Apostle Paul, there is only one God, the Father—not the Son and more so not the Holy Spirit."
Source: Iglesia ni Cristo