Dhe north of the Philippines has been shaken by one of the most severe earthquakes in recent years. The Institute of Volcanology and Seismology of the Philippines put the quake on Wednesday morning at magnitude 7. The epicenter was in the province of Abra. The region is located in the north of the island of Luzon, 335 kilometers north of the capital Manila. There was no tsunami warning.
At least four people were killed and 60 people were injured by collapsing buildings, landslides and falling rocks. Interior Minister Benjamin Abalos said 44 people were injured in the worst-hit region of Abra alone. The tremors were felt even in faraway Manila.
Numerous buildings and bridges were also damaged, windows shattered and power poles swayed. In some affected areas, power and radio signals failed. “We feel aftershocks every 15 minutes,” provincial vice governor Joy Bernos said on Philippine television.
In a video shared on Facebook, parts of the bell tower of Bantay, the symbol of the city of Vigan in Ilocos Sur province, could be seen falling to the ground in front of terrified onlookers. The centuries-old tower is a popular tourist destination. Other historic sites were also damaged by the quake, Senator Imee Marcos said.
In the mega-metropolis of Manila, too, people from residential buildings and offices fled to safety. Several high-rise towers were evacuated. As a precaution, the operation of the elevated railway in the greater Manila area was discontinued. The new President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced that he would soon visit the affected areas and provide temporary housing for the homeless.
The Philippines lies on the Pacific Ring of Fire – the most geologically active zone on earth. In 2013, 220 people were killed in the center of the Southeast Asian island state in the last violent earthquake with a magnitude of 7.1. In July 1990, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake killed more than 2,400 people on the island of Luzon.