6.9-magnitude earthquake in Central Philippines kills 19, parts of historic Bantayan church collapses | Video

Historic Church Crumbles After Massive Earthquake Hits Philippines

A powerful 6.9-magnitude earthquake struck central Philippines, causing part of the centuries-old Parish of Saint Peter the Apostle in Bantayan to collapse. Videos on social media showed lights flickering inside the church as sections of its outer façade crumbled.

⚡️Powerful M6.9 Earthquake Rocks Philippines 🇵🇭 - Tremors Knockout Lights at Church on Bantayan Island pic.twitter.com/TtVxqJH0V3

Story continues below Advertisement

Remove Ad

— RT_India (@RT_India_news) September 30, 2025

The quake, which struck off the coast late Tuesday, killed at least 19 people and caused extensive damage to roads and buildings, while cutting power to parts of the region, local authorities said.

All five fatalities occurred in San Remigio, in the north of Cebu Island, according to local police. Four bodies were recovered from a sports centre, and a child was crushed by debris in another part of the town, reported Manila television network ABS-CBN.

A 25-year-old local resident told AFP, “I heard a loud booming noise from the direction of the church, then I saw rocks falling from the structure. Luckily no one got hurt. I was in shock and in panic at the same time, but my body couldn’t move; I was just there waiting for the shake to stop."

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology reported that the earthquake’s epicentre was approximately 11 kilometres east-southeast of Calape, a coastal municipality in Bohol province with around 33,000 residents. Authorities issued an advisory urging people in Leyte, Cebu, and Biliran to avoid beaches due to the risk of “minor sea-level disturbances.”

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre ruled out any tsunami threat, stating, “no action is required.”

Earthquakes are frequent in the Philippines, which lies on the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, a zone of intense seismic and volcanic activity stretching across Asia and the Pacific. While most tremors are too weak to be felt, stronger ones have historically caused significant damage.