At least 69 people have been killed and dozens injured after a powerful 6.9 magnitude earthquake struck the central Philippines late on Tuesday.
The province of Cebu, which suffered the brunt of the damage, declared a state of calamity early on Wednesday, after thousands spent the night on the streets amid repeated aftershocks.
One Cebu resident told us he was among them, adding that power and water supplies were cut off. He says the voices of crying children could be heard around him, adding that they were traumatized.
The earthquake comes barely more than a week after the country was hit by back-to-back typhoons which killed more than a dozen people.
Most of the victims were from Bogo city, a small town on one of the largest islands in the Visayas Islands, the Philippines' central region - and the place closest to the earthquake's epicentre.
Images coming out of Bogo show cadaver bags lined on the street and hundreds being treated in tent hospitals. Officials have warned of a lot of damage caused by the earthquakes.
In San Remigio, a basketball game was ongoing when the earthquake struck, resulting in injuries and at least one fatality.
Cebu's archbishop has advised the faithful to avoid churches pending structural assessments, a significant call given the historical importance of these sites in the region.
The Philippines, located in the seismically active Ring of Fire, is particularly vulnerable to natural disasters, with a history of severe typhoons and earthquakes.
Efforts are ongoing for search and rescue operations while the local authorities appeal for volunteers with medical skills to assist in treatment and recovery efforts.
