On Thursday, local media had reported 69 fatalities and 294 injured.
"However, for the latest report (68 dead), it is from the Management of the Dead and Missing [MDM] cluster… here is where the dead are stringently accounted for. The numbers may increase or decrease as validation of the MDM led by DILG [Department of the Interior and Local Government] is ongoing," Diego Mariano, deputy spokesperson of the Philippine Civil Defense Office, was quoted by the broadcaster as saying.
The disaster has affected over 360,000 people, forcing more than 77,000 to evacuate their homes, the report said. Numerous buildings have been destroyed and transport infrastructure disrupted. A state of emergency remains in place across Cebu Province.
On Wednesday, the Russian Embassy in Manila told Sputnik that no information had yet been received regarding any Russian casualties, after requesting data from local authorities.
On Tuesday, a 6.9-magnitude earthquake hit off the coast of Cebu City at 9:59 p.m. local time (13:59 GMT). The United States Geological Survey said that the epicenter of the earthquake was located about 11 km (7 miles) southeast of the municipality of Calape. It was followed by smaller aftershocks in the city of Libertad.