Dhaka, Oct. 1 -- At least 69 people have been confirmed dead after a magnitude-6.9 earthquake struck Cebu province in the central Philippines late Tuesday night, trapping residents in collapsed houses, nightclubs, and businesses.

The quake, which hit around 10 p.m., had an epicenter about 19 kilometers northeast of Bogo city at a shallow depth of 5 kilometers, officials said. Nearly half of the reported fatalities were in Bogo, a coastal city of 90,000, where authorities warned the death toll could rise as rescuers searched through the rubble.

Troops, police, and volunteers, aided by backhoes and sniffer dogs, were conducting house-to-house searches despite damaged bridges, blocked roads, and heavy rains. Some victims were also reported...