Image source, EPA

It's 17:00 in the Philippines and about 19 hours (reference to 10pm tuesday when quake truck) since a magnitude 6.9 earthquake hit off the north-east coast of Cebu island.

Here's what we have been reporting:

• At least 69 people have been killed and hundreds injured, according to officials
• Houses and old churches have collapsed, bridges cracked and vehicles crushed as rescuers are racing to find survivors still trapped under rubble
• Many residents are staying outside their homes as aftershocks are still happening. Those wounded from the quake as well as other patients are being treated outside hospital buildings
• Cebu's provincial government has declared a state of calamity and are rushing to deliver aid to those affected. The military has deployed army and air force troops to support relief efforts
• This earthquake comes barely over a week after back-to-back typhoons killed over a dozen people and an extraordinarily wet monsoon season caused widespread flooding, sparking anger and protests

We are pausing our live coverage for now. Read the full story here.

In an update on its website, the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office has urged travellers in quake-hit areas of the Philippines to follow the advice of local authorities, avoid damaged buildings and monitor local media for updates.

Those who are planning to travel to Cebu or nearby provinces should contact their travel provider for updates and stay informed via Philippine disaster agencies.

Prior to the earthquake, the FCDO had already advised against "all travel to western and central Mindanao and the Sulu archipelago" due to insurgent groups operating in the region.

The earthquake struck off the north-east coast of Cebu province, close to Bogo, a small town on one of the largest islands in the Visayas Islands, the Philippines' central region.

Bogo is one of the sleepier towns on the island, about two to three hours drive from the provincial capital, which is also named Cebu.

It now finds itself in the middle of what is shaping up to be one of the deadliest earthquakes to hit the country in years.

Images coming out of the city show cadaver bags lined on the street and the injured being treated in tent hospitals. Roads are cracked and many buildings are destroyed.

In the immediate aftermath of the quake, getting updates from Bogo has been difficult with electricity and communication lines down.

The 6.9-magnitude earthquake that struck Cebu on Tuesday night may have been caused by a fault that had not generated a powerful tremor in the past 400 years, according to an official of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology.

“At least in the last 400 years, the generator of this quake has just moved again now. That is why it was quite strong,” Winchelle Ian Sevilla, chief of the institute's earthquake prediction division, told a press conference.

A magnitude 4.7 aftershock has just hit Bogo city, with tremors felt in Cebu City, neighbouring Leyte island and nearby areas.

The quake struck at 15:49 local time (07:49 GMT), and had a relatively shallow depth of 10km.

Image source, EPA

The Philippines, which lies on the boundary of major tectonic plates, is prone to earthquakes. Yesterday's earthquake in Cebu is among the largest and deadliest. Here are other notable tremors in recent years.

• December 2023: A magnitude 7.6 earthquake hit Mindanao's eastern coast, killing at least three people - including a pregnant woman - and injuring dozens. At least four of the aftershocks that followed were above magnitude 6.0
• July 2022: A 15-km deep, magnitude 7.0, external quake struck north-western Luzon, leaving at least 11 people dead and wounding hundreds
• December 2019: At least 13 people died and hundreds were injured after a magnitude 6.5 earthquake jolted Mindanao near the populous city of Davao
• October 2013: More than 200 people were killed and nearly 1,000 injured after a magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck central Philippines, with an epicentre near the island of Bohol
• The deadliest recorded quake in the South East Asian nation's history happened in 1976 at Moro Gulf. The magnitude 8.0 tremor killed at least 5,000 people.

Image source, Getty Images

Officials from the national police and fire bureau are "fully mobilised", says the secretary of interior and local government, Jonvic Remulla.

"Search and rescue are the priority of the national police and to prevent looting and maintain order," Remulla said.

At least 300,000 food packs have been distributed across the province, according to the Department of Social Welfare and Department.

Vice-President Sara Duterte has extended condolences to people affected by the earthquake.

"We extend our prayers for the peace of the departed, the recovery of the injured, and the speedy recovery of the communities affected by the tragedy," her office said in a statement, adding that it will be "delivering assistance" to those affected.

The vice-president enjoys wide support in Cebu. She got 1.7 million of the 3.2 million votes at stake in the province in the last election.

The Philippines' military has deployed army and air force troops to support relief efforts. Here you see them loading supplies and equipment on a helicopter and a truck.

Here are some scenes on the ground where search and rescue efforts are underway. Officials are also rushing to restore communication facilities and to deliver relief supplies to those affected.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

We're getting more accounts from Cebu residents who experienced the quake. Among them is Jayford Maranga, who was halfway through supper when the building he was in in Cebu City shook suddenly.

"My friend and I ate at the food court near closing time, and then, bang! It was as if the Earth stopped spinning," the 21-year-old told AFP news agency.

The pair hid under a table in the restaurant, Maranga said, adding that his friend sustained slight injuries.

Agnes Merza in the town of Bantayan saw the tiles in her kitchen tiles crack.

"It felt as though we would all fall down. It's the first time I have experienced it. The neighbors all ran out of their homes," said the 65-year-old professional carer.

"My two teenage assistants hid under a table because that's what they were taught in the boy scouts," Merza told AFP.

This earthquake comes barely over a week after back-to-back typhoons killed over a dozen people and wrought damage to infrastructure and crops.

Super Typhoon Ragasa, known locally as Nando, struck in late September, followed swiftly by Typhoon Bualoi, known locally as Opong.

In the months prior, an extraordinarily wet monsoon season caused widespread flooding, sparking anger and protests over unfinished and sub-standard flood control systems that have been blamed on corruption.

Image source, Getty Images

The Office of Civil Defence in Manila says it has now received reports that at least 69 people have been killed in the quake.

OCD deputy administrator Bernardo Alejandro said 30 of the deaths are from Bogo City, which was closest to the epicentre of last night's quake.

There were 22 deaths in San Remigio, 10 in Medellin, five in Tubogon and one each in Sogod and Tabuelan towns, he said, adding the numbers are subject to further validation.

Its was not immediately clear how many people are missing, but rescuers are sifting through rubble of collapsed structures, mindful of the 24-hour window where finding survivors is most likely, he said.

The earthquake damaged centuries-old churches in Cebu where worshippers have been asked to stay away.

Jonathan Head
BBC South East Asia Correspondent

Thousands of people in northern Cebu spent the night out on the streets - their homes last night as the area was hit by repeated aftershocks.

Extensive damage to buildings has been reported – residents described their homes as dancing when they were shaken by the tremors. There were chaotic scenes at hospitals as hundreds of victims were brought in for treatment.

The local authorities have declared a state of calamity in the affected areas, and appealed for volunteers with medical experience to help deal with injuries. Buckled and cracked roads, and fallen bridges, are making access difficult for emergency services.

The Philippines is very vulnerable to natural disasters. It is located on the geologically unstable ‘ring of fire’, and lies in the path of typhoons that sweep across the Pacific Ocean every year.

Seven of those who died in the quake lived in a village built to house victims of Typhoon Haiyan, which struck the central Philippines twelve years ago killing more than 6,000 people.

The magnitude 6.9 earthquake was felt in large parts of Cebu, including in the provincial capital (also named Cebu) around two to three hours by car from the north-east coast, where the quake struck.

"It was a strong earthquake from where we are and aftershocks continue," Cebu City resident Robel Suico tells DZMM - a local radio station based in the capital Manila.

"We are now staying outisde our house just to be safe," he says.

Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival says the earthquake caused light damage to some structures.

"It was strong but there has been no major incident so far," Archival says.

These images give you an idea of the extent of damage. Buildings and vehicles across the city were crushed as the earthquake hit. Cebu's provincial authorities say up to 60 people have been killed.

Image source, Getty Images

If you are just joining us, let's get you up to speed on what's been happening in the Philippines since a deadly earthquake hit on Tuesday night:

• Up to 60 people have been killed and hundreds injured after the 6.9 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Cebu just before 22:00 local time Tuesday
• Cebu's provincial government has declared of a state of calamity, and officials are rushing to restore electricity and deliver aid to those affected
• Those injured after the quake as well as other patients are being treated outside hospital buildings, as aftershocks are still happening
• At least 611 aftershocks have rattled the region since the 6.9 magnitude earthquake on Tuesday, according to the state volcanology agency
• Residents in quake-hit areas have told the BBC they slept out on the streets last night. Footage on local media show people clinging to one another as the quake hit
• 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 houses many old churches

Stay with us - we'll bring you more updates as we get them.

In an update shared to Facebook, city of Bogo officials said that there was a "lot of damage caused by the earthquake", and "despite our efforts, there are still recorded casualties".

They urged residents to "pray carefully and continuously" as rescue efforts continue.

Officially, the death toll from last night's earthquake in Cebu is at 26, however disaster officials say they are receiving reports of more casualties.

However, the situation on the ground remains "very fluid", as reports of deaths and injuries are confirmed, says Rafaelito Alejandro, deputy administrator of the Office of Civil Defence.

Alejandro said the OCD is "receiving reports as high as 60 individuals" have died.

In disaster prone Philippines that is composed of thousands of islands, the national disaster agency based in Manila is tasked with releasing official casualty figures for typhoons and earthquakes. However, the count is usually slow as the numbers are subject to rigorous checks.

On the ground, hospitals, police and rescuers may have their own individual casualty counts.