(Manila) A strong earthquake of magnitude 7.1 struck the northern Philippines on Wednesday, announced the United States Seismological Institute (USGS).
Posted at 10:00 p.m.
The tremor was recorded at 8:43 a.m. (0043 GMT) in the mountainous province of Abra on the main island of Luzon, according to the USGS.
In the town of Dolores, located near the epicenter, terrified residents ran from their homes and the windows of the local market were shattered, local police commander Edwin Sergio told AFP.
“The earthquake was very strong,” Sergio said, adding that cracks appeared in the police station building.
Buildings shook even in the capital Manila, located more than 300 km away.
The Philippines is regularly hit by earthquakes due to its position on the “Ring of Fire”, an arc of intense seismic activity that circles the Pacific Ocean through Japan and Southeast Asia.