At least two people were killed and numerous others were injured on Wednesday when a powerful 7.3 magnitude earthquake shook the Philippines.
The mountainous and sparsely inhabited province of Abra on the main island of Luzon was affected by the shallow but strong earthquake, according to the US Geological Survey.
It caused minor landslides, damaged homes and churches, and sent hospital patients and panicked people running outside.
The country’s capital, Manila, saw intense aftershocks that caused the metro system to shut down during rush hour, according to the transport ministry. Additionally evacuated was the capitol’s senate building.
Police reported that a 25-year-old construction worker was killed when the three-story structure he was working on collapsed in La Trinidad, the capital of the island state of Benguet. Seven additional workers made it out safely.
In the meantime, a villager was killed by a falling cement slab.
Fearful residents fled from their homes and businesses in the Abra municipality of Dolores, which received the full force of the earthquake, and the windows of the nearby market were damaged, according to Police Major Edwin Sergio.
Sergio said that the police station building had some minor cracks and that the earthquake had been “extremely violent.”
“Tables were knocked over, scattering the fruits and vegetables sold in the market.”
Although there was no obvious damage to homes or businesses, a video released on Facebook showed fractures in the asphalt road and ground in the adjacent province seat of Bangued.
However, according to Bangued police head Major Nazareno Emia, several injured people were sent to area hospitals.
There are cracks in some of the buildings here. Both the power and the internet were turned off, he continued.
Representative for the sole district in Abra, Congressman Ching Bernos, stated that the earthquake “caused devastation to many families and establishments,” but he did not provide further details.
University student Mira Zapata experienced “very violent shaking” as she was in her home in the San Juan municipality.
She stated that when the aftershocks persisted, “We began shrieking and raced outside.”
“Our house is fine, but the homes down the hill were hurt,”
The earthquake that struck the Philippines on Wednesday was the strongest one in years.
When they felt the intense shaking, several of our employees who were cutting branches had to immediately descend, according to Pangasinan Provincial Police Chief Colonel Richmond Tadina.
Structures constructed during the Spanish colonial era and dating back hundreds of years were damaged at Vigan City, a province close by called Ilocos Sur.
Verified Facebook video footage revealed the Bantay Bell Tower in the well-known tourist site was partially collapsing.
Director of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology Renato Solidum stated, “We can’t rule out the likelihood of another major earthquake.”
According to his press secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., whose family is based in the north, was planning to travel to the devastated area as soon as it was secure.
Some areas reportedly experienced landslides. Road clearance efforts are underway, said to Mark Timbal, spokesman for the national disaster agency.
He said that there were no reports of any dams in the area being damaged.
Social media videos showed bricks falling from a clock tower and supermarket stores being damaged. Additionally, a hospital was evacuated as people ran for safety.
A congressman from the northern province of Ilocos Sur named Eric Singson told the DZMM radio station that he was afraid his home would collapse.
“The earthquake lasted for at least 30 seconds.” Singson remarked, “I felt my house would collapse.
‘Right now, we’re attempting to contact people.
We are currently outside our home due to aftershocks.
There were no recorded injuries despite a hospital in the province of Abra being evacuated after the building partially collapsed after the earthquake.
We continue to feel aftershocks. There have been reports of homes being damaged.
But there have been no injuries so far,” Lagangilang, Abra province, Mayor Rovelyn Villamor told DZRH radio.
Because it is in danger, the power supply is automatically switched off, thus we are without power.
The state seismology agency’s head, Renato Solidum, told the DZMM radio station that while there was no evidence of damage in Manila, the quake may have caused issues in the province of Abra.
“In the area around the capitol, it wasn’t destructive.” Although it had little effect on the structures, it was nonetheless wise to assess crucial facilities.
According to the Bureau of Meteorology, there is no longer a tsunami threat to Australia as a result of the earthquake.
Following the incident, an academic posted a picture of the Vigan Cathedral, an 18th-century Roman Catholic site of worship, on social media.
One of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites includes the cathedral.
Bricks are evident on the ground where it appears like a portion of the cathedral’s wall has collapsed.
The majority of earthquakes in the world happen around the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, a ring of faults encircling the Pacific Ocean, where the Philippines is located.
In addition, it experiences roughly 20 typhoons and tropical storms year, making it one of the nations most vulnerable to natural disasters.
Over 200 people were killed and landslides were sparked when a magnitude 7.1 earthquake rocked Bohol Island in the central Philippines in October 2013.
In the Philippines, where Catholicism originated, old churches suffered severe damage.
Tens of thousands of homes were damaged, and about 400,000 people had to be relocated.
A “ground rupture” caused by the strong quake raised a section of ground by around three metres, changing the island’s topography and forming a rock wall above the epicentre.
A ground breach spanning more than 100 kilometres was caused by an earthquake of a magnitude of 7.8 in 1990 in the northern Philippines.
More than 1,200 people are thought to have died, and Manila buildings sustained significant damage.
The country’s volcanology and seismology institute conducts earthquake drills on a regular basis that simulate scenarios along the active fault lines in the country.