A violent magnitude 7 earthquake struck the northern Philippines on Wednesday, killing at least four people, sowing panic among residents and shaking buildings as far as the capital Manila, 300 km away.
According to the United States Seismological Institute (USGS), the quake was recorded at 8:43 a.m. local time (8:43 p.m. Tuesday in Quebec), at a relatively shallow depth of 10 km in the mountainous province of Abra, on the main island. of Luzon.
The earthquake injured more than a hundred people in the region and damaged buildings, caused dozens of landslides and power cuts.
Two construction workers died in Benguet province, a 23-year-old woman was crushed by a falling wall in Bangued, capital of Abra province, and another person was killed during a fall in the province of Kalinga, where at least 8 injured were identified, according to the police.
In the town of Dolores, located very close to 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,” Mr. Sergio said. “The fruit and vegetable tables in the market were knocked over,” he continued, adding that cracks had appeared on the walls of the police station.
In Vigan City, in the neighboring province of Ilocos Sur, buildings dating from the Spanish colonial period (1565-1898) were damaged. Videos posted on Facebook and verified showed in particular damage to the historic bell tower of Bantay, a famous tourist attraction. Two visitors were slightly injured by falling debris, an official said.
Felt 300 km away
Mira Zapata, a student, said he was at his house in the city of San Juan when he felt “a very strong jolt”.
“We started screaming and ran outside,” he said, as the aftershocks continued. “Our house is in good condition but those down the hill were damaged,” continued this witness.
At least 58 landslides have been reported in the region, Interior Secretary Benjamin Abalos said.
The National Disaster Management Agency said no damage had been reported to the dams and clearing operations were underway on the roads.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, whose family stronghold is in the north of the country, has asked residents to stay in emergency shelters until their homes have been checked for strength.
He said he would avoid going to the area for the time being so as not to disrupt rescue operations.
Skyscrapers shook as far as the capital Manila, located more than 300 km to the south. Several buildings were evacuated.
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.
Wednesday’s earthquake is the most powerful in the country for years.
In October 2013, an earthquake of magnitude 7.1 on the island of Bohol, in the center of the country, killed more than 200 people and displaced 400,000.
In 1990, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake in the northern Philippines killed more than 1,200 people, caused extensive damage in Manila and broke ground over more than a hundred kilometres.