The north of the Philippines has been shaken by a violent earthquake. The Institute of Volcanology and Seismology of the Philippines (Phivolcs) initially put the quake, which occurred shortly before 9 a.m. (local time) on Wednesday morning, at a magnitude of 7.3. The value was later revised to 7. The epicenter was in the town of Lagangilang in Abra province. The region is located in the north of the island of Luzon, 335 kilometers north of the capital Manila. There was no tsunami warning.
Numerous buildings and bridges were damaged, the mayor of Lagangilang said. In addition, landslides are said to have occurred. Civil protection announced that power and radio signals had failed in some affected areas.
“We feel aftershocks every 15 minutes,” provincial vice governor Joy Bernos said on Philippine television. “Many people are still staying outside their homes, but so far we have had no reports of any fatalities.”
Local Congressman Ching Bernos shared photos online showing houses half collapsed or tipped on their sides, as well as buildings with large cracks and broken glass windows.
The tremors were felt as far away as Manila, where people were evacuated from homes and offices. Several high-rise towers were evacuated. The operation of the elevated railway in Greater Manila was also discontinued as a precaution.
