The quake was felt across a wide area of the central northern Luzon region, including in some parts of metropolitan Manila, more than 400 kilometres (248 miles) south of Abra
A strong earthquake rocked a large swathe of the northern Philippines, injuring at least 26 people and forcing the closure of an international airport and the evacuation of patients in a hospital, officials said Wednesday.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said Tuesday night’s magnitude 6.4 quake, set off by movement in a local fault, was centred 9 kilometres (5 miles) northwest of lagayan town in Abra province at a depth of 11 kilometres (7 miles).
The U.S. Tsunami Warning System said no warning or advisory was issued.
The quake was felt across a wide area of the central northern Luzon region, including in some parts of metropolitan Manila, more than 400 kilometres (248 miles) south of Abra
In Batac city also in Ilocos Norte, patients were moved out of the province’s largest hospital after parts of the ceiling in the intensive care unit fell as the building swayed. Officials said that medical consultation services were temporarily suspended as engineers assessed damage to the building.
Marcos Jr, who was in Manila, said authorities were inspecting roads and buildings, and welfare officials were providing help to affected residents in northern provinces. “Everyone is advised to keep out of tall structures,” the president said in a tweet.
In the town of La Paz in Abra, officials said that a century-old Christian church was damaged, with parts of its belfry collapsing and some walls cracked, littering the church’s grassy yard with debris.
At least two towns in Cagayan province temporarily lost electricity due to damaged power lines. Some bridges and roads in outlying provinces were damaged