Meghan Markle’s elderly father was reportedly “trapped” on the 19th floor of his apartment building in the Philippines after the most powerful earthquake in more than a decade struck the country, according to the Duchess of Sussex’s estranged half-sister.

Samantha Markle Speaks Out

Thomas Markle, 81, who relocated to the Philippines earlier this year, found himself stranded after a 6.9-magnitude quake left widespread devastation and dozens of fatalities. Samantha Markle shared an update about their father’s situation on X, saying he remained stuck as of Wednesday.

“My father is stuck on the 19th floor of a building in the Philippines after a massive earthquake and he can’t walk and he is trapped,” she wrote.

She added that while her father was “OK” for now, he was working on plans to get out of the building safely. “They seem to be safe for now, and hopefully there will be no serious aftershocks. Provisions are being made so that he won’t be trapped in a similar situation again. God bless and stay safe everyone!” she continued.

Thomas Markle, a retired TV lighting director, has previously said he moved to the Philippines to start a new chapter alongside his son, Thomas Jr., 58.

Deadly Aftermath of the Quake

Meanwhile, rescue crews continued to search for survivors using sniffer dogs and heavy machinery to dig through the wreckage of collapsed homes and damaged buildings. The earthquake, which struck overnight while many were sleeping, has already claimed at least 69 lives and injured more than 200 others.

Officials warned that the death toll could climb further as aftershocks persisted through Wednesday, though the exact number of missing persons remained unclear.

The 6.9-magnitude tremor is one of the strongest to hit the region in more than ten years, leaving destruction and fear in its wake.