DHAKA: Survivors of a huge earthquake that killed more than 150 people in the Philippines rummaged hopelessly on Wednesday through ruins for friends and relatives, as rescue workers struggled to reach isolated communities.

The 7.1-magnitude earthquake smashed the central island of Bohol on Tuesday morning, ripping apart bridges, tearing down centuries-old churches and triggering landslides that engulfed entire homes.

The number of people confirmed killed on Bohol and neighbouring islands climbed from 93 on Tuesday to 151 on Wednesday night as the full scale of the disaster became clear, and there were no tales of miracle rescues.

At Loon, a small coastal town of about 40,000 people just 20km from the epicentre of the earthquake, shocked survivors used their bare hands to scour through the rubble of their homes, reports The Straits Times.

BDST: 1800 HRS, OCT 16, 2013
RoR/GCP