A strong earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.9 struck the central Philippines around 10 p.m. local time, according to the US Geological Survey, raising fears about damage and the possibility of a localized tsunami.

The latest death toll was an increase of three from Wednesday and all fatalities were recorded in the central Visayas region.

The quake came as parts of the central Philippines were still reeling from a storm that killed at least 27 people on Friday.