You are here
Home > News > 7.1 earthquake strikes Philippines, at least 4 dead

7.1 earthquake strikes Philippines, at least 4 dead

A powerful 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck Luzon, an island in the northern Philippines on Wednesday killing at least four people, injuring sixty, damaging buildings and sending strong tremors through the capital, Manila.

The quake struck about 11 km southeast of the town of Dolores, northern Philippines at a shallow depth of 10 km, according to US Geological Survey data.

Earthquake intensity. Photo: TVP World

“Despite the sad reports about the damages caused by the earthquake, we are assuring quick response to those in need and affected by this calamity,” Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr wrote on social media.

Press Release

Office of the Press Secretary

PBBM orders quick mobilization of rescue, relief ops after strong quake pic.twitter.com/a6U5bcRQXo

— Office of the Press Secretary (@pcoogov) July 27, 2022

Interior Secretary Benjamin Abalos told a news conference that, so far, 173 buildings were damaged and 58 landslides were reported, with 44 of the 60 injured in Abra province.

A hospital in Abra province was evacuated after the building partially collapsed but there were no casualties reported there, officials said.

The quake damaged heritage buildings in the city of Vigan, known for its old Spanish colonial architecture, including the Bantay Church Bell tower.

Frightening footage of a 7.1 magnitude earthquake in the Philippines. Stay safe everyone.
#EarthquakePH #Earthquake #Philippines pic.twitter.com/qiUTxxX0n8

— Najia Ashar (@najiaashar) July 27, 2022

Aftershocks

Renato Solidum, director of the state seismology agency, told the DZRH radio station, that strong aftershocks were expected. “The focus of attention is on Abra and nearby provinces. This is a major earthquake,” he added.

The Philippines is prone to natural disasters and is located on the seismically active Pacific “Ring of Fire”, a band of volcanoes and fault lines that arcs around the edge of the Pacific Ocean.

Earthquakes are frequent and there are an average of 20 typhoons each year, some triggering deadly landslides.

The quake was also felt in Manila where several buildings were evacuated, with some people forced to flee from the 30th floor of one building, and the city’s metro rail systems were halted at rush hour.

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Top