(CNN) — A powerful 6.9-magnitude earthquake struck the central Philippines late Tuesday, killing people at a sports arena and raising fears of considerable destruction.

The earthquake struck around 10 p.m. local time, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS), only around 10 kilometers (6 miles) underwater, just west of Palompon in the Philippines and close to the city of Bogo in Cebu province.

A quake of this strength in the region could cause casualties and damage to poorly built structures, early survey models suggest.

Richard Gordon, chairman of the Philippine Red Cross, said in a telephone interview that at least 13 people, including three members of the Philippine Coast Guard and one firefighter, died in the town of San Remigio when a sports complex collapsed during a bas

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