THE number of fatalities in the 6.9-magnitude earthquake that struck Negros and Cebu islands rose to 43 on Monday.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), in its 6 a.m. Monday report, recorded 43 fatalities all from Negros Oriental.

The fatalities include 17 in Guilhungan, eight in Jimalalud, three in Tayasan, one in Bindoy, two in Manjuyod, two in Ayungon, and 10 in La Libertad.

The NDRRMC also recorded 54 people injured and 66 others still missing.

Meanwhile, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) recorded 1,556 aftershocks as of Monday morning since last Monday's quake.

The 6.9-magnitude tremor that occurred at 11:49 a.m. last Monday at five kilometers northwest of Tayasan was set off by movement in an undersea fault. (Sunnex)