A strong earthquake rocked the northern Philippines, including the capital region, on Wednesday, killing one person, causing landslides, damaging buildings and carrying out evacuations of high-rises in the metropolitan area, officials said.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology had initially indicated that the earthquake’s strength was 7.3 on the Richter scale, but later adjusted it to only 7. There were no tsunami warnings.
The institute said that the epicenter of the earthquake was in the town of Lagangilang, Abra Province, 335 km north of Manila./ The National Council for Disaster Risk Reduction and Management in the Philippines reported that a person was killed in the Cordillera region, noting that the dead man was a construction worker who died due to falling debris.
The National Disaster Agency said that some areas were cut off from electricity and communications.
“We get aftershocks every 15 minutes,” Abra County Deputy Governor Joey Byrnos told a TV news program. People are still out of their homes.”
Pernos added that part of the regional hospital had collapsed, forcing the evacuation of patients.
The earthquake was felt in the Metro Manila area, where residential buildings, offices and commercial establishments were evacuated. The authorities suspended the operation of the overhead rail system.
The US Geological Survey had estimated the earthquake’s strength at 7.1, ruling out the possibility of tsunami waves forming on American soil as a result of the earthquake.
The Philippines is located in the Pacific Ring of Fire, where about 90% of the world’s earthquakes occur.
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