Category World News

A magnitude 6.9 earthquake hit the central Philippines late on Tuesday night, killing at least 69 people and injuring more than 140, according to local authorities.

Here is more about what happened and why the country is vulnerable to earthquakes.

Where did the earthquake hit and how bad is it?

At 9:59pm local time on Tuesday (13:59 GMT) a magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck 12 miles northeast of Bogo City in Cebu province in the country’s central Visayas region.

Earthquake monitoring agencies say the depth of the earthquake was about 10km (6.2 miles), making it a shallow quake.

Earthquakes that are considered “shallow” usually cause more damage because the epicentre is close to the Earth’s surface – at a depth of between 0 and 70 km, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).

The USGS said it has recorded four aftershocks of magnitude 5 or higher since the first quake in the Philippines on Tuesday. People in the Visayan Islands, which include Cebu, Biliran and Leyte, felt the impact.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) issued a tsunami alert for the regions of Leyte, Biliran and Cebu province, but said on Wednesday morning that it has now lifted the alert, citing no unusual wave activity.

How bad is the damage?

Local authorities placed parts of Cebu province in a “state of calamity” after the powerful earthquake brought down buildings and also cut power across Cebu and nearby islands, according to the country’s national grid.

Bogo city in Cebu, which has about 90,000 residents, was the worst hit with more than 20 confirmed deaths including four children. Several residential properties and commercial buildings were badly damaged.

Casualties have also been reported in the nearby towns of Medellin and Tabuelan and in the municipality of San Remigio, a 16-minute drive from Bogo City.

According to local media outlet SunStar Cebu, seven people including personnel from the Bureau of Fire Protection and three from the coastguard were killed at the San Remigio Sports Complex and evacuation centre, when parts of the roof collapsed during a basketball game.

The earthquake has also brought down historical churches and buildings in the Cebu province.

Local media videos circulating on social media showed how the ancient Saints Peter and Paul Parish on Bantayan Island in Cebu trembled and then collapsed when the earthquake struck.

WATCH: Saints Peter and Paul Parish in Bantayan Island in Cebu also collapsed following the earthquake late Tuesday, September 30, 2025. (📹: Bonal Robel) | via @feanneperez pic.twitter.com/Big1MMmm17

Radyo Pilipinas, a radio station owned by the Presidential Broadcast Service, also showed images of how the earthquake had reduced a 139-year old church in Daanbantayan, north of Bogo, to debris.

“The current situation in Daanbantayan highlights the severe impact of the earthquake on heritage structures, which form part of Cebu’s rich cultural and spiritual identity,” Cebu Governor Pam Baricuatro said in a post on Facebook.

UPDATE | Ito ang kalagayan ng 139-taong gulang na Daanbantayan Church o ang Archdiocesan Shrine of Sta. Rosa de Lima kasunod ng 6.9-magnitude na lindol na tumama sa Bogo City, Cebu noong Martes ng gabi (Setyembre 30, 2025).

Itinayo ang simbahan noong 1886 at idineklara itong… pic.twitter.com/k1Q6VqMMbK

What rescue efforts are under way?

According to local media reports, Philippines President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr has offered his condolences to the families of the earthquake victims and said the Bureau of Fire Protection and the Philippine National Police are assisting in rescue and recovery efforts, while the Department of Energy is working to restore power to affected regions.

Hospitals have been overwhelmed in Bogo City and some patients have also been evacuated as a result of the aftershocks which have shaken hospitals.

“Bogo City has already reached its maximum capacity but patients are still pouring in,” a representative of Senator Risa Hontiveros, chairperson of the Philippines’ Senate committee on health, which is overseeing relief operations, told Al Jazeera.

The senator’s staff said they visited the provincial hospital in Bogo City where local medic Dr Yurangco said the hospital had not incurred any major damage, but hospital staff had been overwhelmed by an influx of patients.

The senator’s staff also told Al Jazeera that they are currently focusing on delivering two trucks of water to the hospital because of the need for drinking water in the vicinity.

The Philippine Red Cross told CNN that it has been helping with medical treatment and has treated at least 60 people for injuries in three provinces.

Hours after the earthquake, local authorities in Cebu province appealed to the wider country as well as national and international aid organisations for water and equipment to assist search and rescue efforts.

“It is raining heavily and there is no electricity, so we really need help, especially in the northern part, because there’s a scarcity of water after supply lines were damaged by the earthquake,” Alfie Reynes, the vice mayor of San Remigio town, told DZMM radio.

Meanwhile, in case of further aftershocks, Cebu governor Baricuatro who has been visiting areas hit by the earthquake, has urged residents to “stay calm and move to open areas”.

In a Facebook post, she told people to “keep away from walls or structures that may collapse and stay alert for aftershocks”. She added that the provincial government was assessing the situation and reaching out to municipal officials.

Why is the Philippines prone to earthquakes and is the country prepared?

The Philippines lies in the Pacific Ring of Fire, a tectonic belt of volcanic arcs and oceanic trenches in the Pacific Ocean.

The country experiences mild earthquakes and volcanic activity almost daily because the Ring of Fire is sensitive to the regular movement of the Earth’s tectonic plates colliding or sliding past each other.

Indonesia, New Zealand, Japan, the United States, Canada, Russia, Guatemala, Peru and Chile are also countries located within the Ring of Fire.

Phivolcs has been developing guides to alert residents about earthquakes and make them resilient to natural disasters. An alert about the latest earthquake was sent out on the country’s civil defence Facebook group as well as on other weather alert groups.

The United Nations, through its Anticipatory Action Pilot Programme, has also been working with the government to empower local communities to respond to earthquakes and other natural disasters.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, the prime minister of Qatar, asserts that the Palestinian ceasefire plan, which was unveiled by US President Donald Trump, has the main objectives set by mediators, including halting Palestinian killings and displacements, and urges all parties to seize the opportunity to end Israel’s conflict.

Sheikh Mohammed addressed Hamas’negotiating team about the plan’s broad terms in an interview with Al Jazeera that was broadcast on Wednesday.

He acknowledged that the plan poses “practical and implementation challenges,” but that it addresses the most pressing issue, which is bringing down the Gaza Strip’s bloodshed and opening the door to “opportunities.”

“Everyone agreed to stop the conflict, stop displacement, and allow the Israeli army to completely leave.” He claimed that these three issues are crucial. The Palestinian people themselves are in direct charge of running Gaza, according to the statement.

Sheikh Mohammed emphasized that “the main concern is how to safeguard the people in Gaza.”

Netanyahu apologized to Qatar on Monday for the killing of a Qatari national last month during an unprecedented Israeli attack on Hamas leaders, which attracted international condemnation.

During their White House meeting on Monday, Trump and Netanyahu jointly called Sheikh Mohammed and offered an apology.

There are difficulties, I say.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Egypt, Turkiye, and Indonesia are all supported by the 20-point plan, which has received support from a number of other Arab and Muslim nations. Once agreed, the attacks in Gaza will end right away, and “full aid” will be permitted into the Strip.

In addition to the diplomatic movement, Turkiye representatives are meeting with the Gaza mediation team in Doha. According to Majed al-Ansari, a spokesman for the Qatari Foreign Ministry, “Turkiye now belongs to the US initiative” and is working closely with it.

The plan specifies that Israel’s release of nearly 2, 000 Palestinian prisoners would prompt their release within 72 hours of their acceptance. Hamas, on the other hand, would resign from power and demilitarise, with members receiving amnesty.

A technocratic committee of Palestinians would take over the reins of Palestinian government while an international force would be deployed to temporarily monitor security and train local police forces.

Details on some of the issues, including the withdrawal process for Israel and the composition of a new Palestinian administration, will need to be clarified and negotiated, according to Sheikh Mohammed.

Israel’s withdrawal is not scheduled or clearly defined in the plan, and it is vaguely authorized to hold onto a “security perimeter” until the territory is “properly secured.”

There must be a crystal clear and legal framework for this matter, which will of course be at the UN Security Council, according to Sheikh Mohammed, who stated that the work of fleshing out these issues “is primarily the work of the Palestinian side with the Israeli side, but also as a broader supporting international community.”

Hamas has not yet provided an official response, despite Doha’s claim that it has promised to “responsibly examine” the proposal. Trump warned that if the group didn’t sign on, they would “pay in hell” on Tuesday, saying the group had three to four days to respond.

Trump made it abundantly clear that this plan is not an offer. According to Washington, DC-based Mike Hanna of Al Jazeera, it’s an ultimatum.

No “garanties”

Some analysts expressed concern that the plan doesn’t offer enough security guarantees or a path to autonomous government for Palestinians.

There are no guarantees made by the Palestinians, according to Palestinian lawyer and analyst Diana Buttu, who explains the agreement itself. The Israelis are given “every assurance,” he said.

“There is every chance Israel will decide to go back to the war,” according to Phyllis Bennis, program director at the Institute for Policy Studies in Washington, DC.

Israel launches a devastating offensive into Gaza City, which it claims is one of Hamas’s last strongholds, just two days into the conflict.

Rarely has a multilateral sports competition recently been so rife with conflict-related controversy as the Dubai 2025 Asia Cup. Russia’s participation in the 2024 Olympics and the 2022 FIFA World Cup might be cited as examples, but sporting authorities chose those actions quietly behind closed doors. However, this Asia Cup contest turned out to be a whole new experience. The three matches between India and Pakistan featured theatrical displays of jingoism, including hand gestures that resembled crashing fighter jets, refusals to offer match officials who had allegedly engaged in verbal altercations with the match officials, and what appeared to be a proxy conflict between the two cricket boards.

This intensity comes from a long history. Both nations have engaged in numerous conflicts, and their cricketing ties have been severely strained. They have only played one bilateral series, which was hosted by India in 2012, since the 2008 Mumbai attacks, which were carried out by gunmen linked to Pakistan. The players maintained their poise and neutrality on the rare occasions they did cross on the field. Players and politicians acting in the same way have now stifled that line. The way the Asia Cup this year took place provided compelling evidence that cricket is being militarized intentionally to support a spectacle that generates billions of dollars.

At a post-match press conference on September 14th, India’s captain Suryakumar Yadav made similar remarks with even greater passion after India beat Pakistan in the final just two weeks later despite being fined for making comments that were deemed politically appropriate. Haris Rauf, a fast bowler for Pakistan and who gave up 50 runs in his final four overs, was also found guilty of abusing the play. After imitating the alleged collision of six Indian fighter jets during the May clashes between the neighbors, he was fined 30% of his match fee. The gesture by Rauf quickly became popular.

Ironically, Yadav and Rauf both had subpar tournament performances, but they both displayed hypernationalism with the utmost passion. Probability is that this is the current state of affairs: Fans are likely to validate and keep players informed with social media theatrics and non-sporting shenanigans more than they do with actual player contributions.

The Indian team also turned down the opportunity to meet Mohsin Naqvi, the president of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), who is also a Pakistani minister and head of the country’s cricket board. A winning team was celebrating empty-handed because the ACC removed the silverware from the prize ceremony and did not give it to the winners after India turned down the trophy from Naqvi. Former Indian player and coach Ravi Shastri, who is now a well-known commentator, called the situation “ridiculous.” Not just on one side, the entire tournament was nothing short of jingoistic tomfoolery. Sports are intended to repair and foster diplomacy, not to break up communities.

Cricket, a gentleman’s game, was ruined by this blurred line between sport and conflicting foreign policy. In a tweet from his official X-channel, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi claimed that India’s performance was “Operation Sindoor” on the field, with the same outcome as winning. The prime minister “compares a deadly conflict where both armed forces and civilians were killed… to a cricket match,” according to journalist Suhasini Haidar. The conflicting environment created throughout the tournament is best represented by this tweet and its analysis. Any sane citizen would not agree with comparing a game to a serious military conflict that claimed lives, caused grievance for thousands of families, and caused economic harm.

The sheer hypocrisy at play contributes to this display’s even more troubling aspect. In response to political unrest and security concerns, the Indian Board of Control for Cricket has made a show of refusing to play bilateral cricket with Pakistan. India and Pakistan are undoubtedly going to battle it out in multilateral tournaments, frequently more than once, when the stakes are high and sponsors are competing for millions of dollars. What started out as a boycott of the first match turned into a full-fledged festival by the final, and even the Indian masses eventually gave in. Every viral clip of an on-field provocation fuels engagement, and every eyeball that is fixed to the screen generates revenue. This cricket-related businesslike militarisation creates a setting where players are paid more for their jingoistic behavior than their excellence.

On the other hand, Pakistan’s board and players haven’t been saints either. The way Rauf’s gestures, which resemble crashing Indian jets, demonstrate that he is playing to the gallery rather than to the game’s spirit. They resorted to trivial provocations to stay in the spotlight in addition to their cricket instead. All of this demonstrates to the next generation of cricketers that national pride is just as crucial as and perhaps more important than sports discipline.

After a game, players who perform with a certain hangover that is brought on by the environment there suffer as well as their performance and interactions with rival team members. If two of the world’s most significant cricketing nations act in this manner, it sets a bad precedent for emerging markets trying to compete. This cup literally created more tension and allowed warlike emotions to pour over the 22 yards, which is the opposite of what sport is supposed to represent.

Fans would have a chance to enjoy the game without being constantly enraged by politics, so it would be better for the sport and for those who genuinely admire it. Better is what Cricket deserves. The least they can do is admit it to the public if those at the top continue to use every India-Pakistan conflict as a proxy war for profit. The disgrace that it brought upon the game will be remembered more than the runs scored or the wickets taken in the 2025 Asia Cup. Perhaps that is the saddest commentary ever.

The only way forward is to ban them until they bring about a sense of decency, it is argued. Why should neutral fans around the world, including Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and other nations, be forced to endure the poisoning of multilateral tournaments by two nations that view cricket as a form of conflict and xenophobia? India and Pakistan’s temporary withdrawal from international competitions would send a clear message that cricket cannot survive in a nationalistic setting.

However, it’s simpler to say than to implement a ban. Pakistan continues to be a significant draw despite India’s financial dominance of the International Cricket Council (ICC). Their matches produce the viewership figures that keep sponsors interested. No board has the guts to ignore its largest market, not the ICC, of course. The end result is a paradox: cricket’s survival depends in part on the contests that undermine its spirit. Cricket will continue to be a slave to this destructive rivalry as long as money dictates decisions.