Dozens killed due to a powerful quake in the Philippines

Manila - 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.

The earthquake comes barely more than a week after the country was hit by back to back typhoons which killed more than 20 people, officials said.

Most of the earthquake victims were from Bogo, 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 body bags lined on the street and hundreds of people being treated in tent hospitals. Officials have warned of "a lot of damage" caused by the earthquakes.

The local authorities have appealed for volunteers with medical experience to help deal with injuries.

In the municipality of San Remigio, a basketball game was being played when the earthquake struck, an emergency response official told the BBC. Almost 20 people at the game were sent to the hospital, and at least one person later died.

Officials from the national police and fire bureau say they are prioritising search and rescue operations, rushing to restore electricity and delivering relief supplies to those affected.

On Wednesday evening, Bogo was hit by yet another aftershock, this one at a magnitude of 4.7, with tremors felt in Cebu city and the neighbouring Leyte islands. There were no known casualties.

Cebu's archbishop has told devotees to stay away from churches, pending structural assessments. This call is significant as Cebu was one of the first Philippine islands to be colonised by Spain in the 1500s, and has many old churches, the BBC reported.

Typhoon Haiyan, which struck the central Philippines 12 years ago, had killed more than 6,000 people.