Philippine strong quake death toll reaches 144

MANILA, Oct. 16 (Xinhua) -- The death toll from the powerful earthquake in central Philippines reached 144, government agency said Wednesday afternoon.

Of the dead, 134 were from Bohol, nine from Cebu, and one from Siquijor, said Rey Balido, operational officer and spokesman of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.

Another 291 people were wounded, and 23 others were still missing. The affected population topped 3 million in the provinces of Bohol, Cebu and Siquijor.

By Wednesday, 67 percent of power were restored in Bohol, he said.

The quake occurred at 8:12 a.m. Tuesday with a depth of 33 kilometers.

Philippine President Benigno Aquino III flew to Cebu province in the early afternoon of Wednesday to assess the damages brought by the 7.2 magnitude earthquake.

He made an aerial inspection of the affected areas and distributed relief goods to victims.