On Wednesday, a strong earthquake occurred on Luzon, the main island of the Philippines. There have been aftershocks for hours, at least sixty people have been injured.
A strong earthquake occurred in the northern parts of the Philippines on Wednesday.
The U.S. Geological Survey reports the magnitude of the earthquake as 7.1 magnitude. The earthquake happened a little before nine in the morning local time.
At least four people have died and 60 have been injured in the earthquake.
The earthquake struck the sparsely populated province of Abra on the main Philippine island of Luzon. The shallow but strong quake also shook tall buildings in the country’s capital, Manila, which is more than 300 kilometers away from the epicenter.
In the city of Bangued, the earthquake caused the asphalt to tear. In the nearby village of Dolores, people ran out of their houses, the windows of a local shop were shattered and the local police station building also sustained minor damage.
– The earthquake was really strong, said the local police Edwin Sergio for AFP.
Aftershocks for several hours already
According to the Washington Post, one person in Abra died after being trapped under falling concrete slabs at home. Another person also died in Abra province.
In La Trinidad, a mountain town known for growing strawberries, in the Benguet region, a worker at a construction site was killed when debris dislodged by the earthquake fell on him. The fourth victim died in the third province, the interior minister of the Philippines said Benjamin Abalos at the press conference.
In Abra, at least 25 people have been injured and most of them are being treated in hospitals. In Mountain province, five people were injured when rocks and debris flew over their car. Roads are cut at least in Benguet province due to landslides.
Vice Governor of Abra Joy Bernos said Wednesday morning in a radio interview that there have been plenty of aftershocks in the area. According to Bernos, based on preliminary information, some bridges would also have collapsed.
President of the Philippines Ferdinand Marcos Jr. plans to travel to Abra province as soon as it is safe and possible, said the presidential press secretary.
– Despite the sad news, we guarantee quick help to the people who have been affected by this tragedy, Marcos commented on his Facebook account.
The Philippine National Institute of Volcanology and Seismology says that aftershocks regularly occur at least four hours after the actual earthquake.