A 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck the northern region of Luzon island in the Philippines on Wednesday, killing at least four people and injuring dozens of others, a government official said.
The tremor was centered about 13 kilometers (8 miles) southeast of Dolores in Abra province, with a depth of 10 kilometers (6.2 miles), according to the U.S. Geological Survey’s (USGS) report.
Interior and Local Government Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. said that four people were killed in the Benguet, Abra, and Mountain provinces, while 60 others were injured, Philippine-based GMA News reported.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) initially measured the quake at 7.3 magnitude before downgrading it to 7.0. The quake was also felt in the capital Manila and nearby provinces.
#EarthquakePH #EarthquakeAbra#iFelt_AbraEarthquake
Earthquake Information No.1
Date and Time: 27 July 2022 – 08:43 AM
Magnitude = 7.3
Depth = 025 km
Location = 17.63°N, 120.74°E – 002 km N 20° E of Lagangilang (Abra)https://t.co/3956JHaXeR pic.twitter.com/132uDTgdhW— PHIVOLCS-DOST (@phivolcs_dost) July 27, 2022
Abra Rep. Ching Bernos said the quake “caused damages to many households and establishments” and “was felt in various parts of Luzon,” which prompted authorities to activate “preemptive measures in many places.”
“I urge everyone to stay alert and to prioritize safety in light of the possibilities of aftershocks that might be felt after that strong earthquake,” Bernos said in a statement.
Bernos said that her office is “monitoring the situation on the ground and gathering information on the extent of the damage to the province,” while actively coordinating with authorities on measures to assist families that were severely affected by the earthquake.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has also ordered the immediate dispatch of rescue teams and relief assistance to residents who were affected by the tremor.
“Despite this saddening news about the damage caused by the earthquake, we are assuring everyone of the immediate dispatch of assistance to our affected countrymen,” Marcos said in a Twitter post.
The quake triggered power outages and internet disruptions in some areas in Benguet, but no tsunami alert was issued. The Philippine Air Force said it will use aerial inspection to assess damages in Abra, a state-run news agency reported.
The Philippines lies along the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” an arc of faults around the Pacific Ocean where most of the world’s earthquakes occur. It is also lashed by about 20 typhoons and tropical storms each year, making it one of the world’s most disaster-prone countries
A magnitude 7.7 quake killed nearly 2,000 people in the northern Philippines in 1990.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
From The Epoch Times
