UPDATE: At least four people have been killed and more than 60 injured in the earthquake that hit northern Philippines on Wednesday.
The deaths were reported in Benguet and Abra provinces, Interior Secretary Benjamin Abalos said at a news conference. The mayor of the town of Lagangilang in Abra province said the place is still experiencing aftershocks.
Philippines' newly-installed President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said said the government is addressing the needs of the people affected by the earthquake. "Despite the sad reports about the damages caused by the earthquake, we are assuring (a) quick response to those in need and affected by this calamity," the President wrote in a Facebook post.
Original Story:
A magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck the northern Philippines on Wednesday morning. The tremor was reported in Luzon, one of the country's most populous islands. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said damage and aftershocks may be expected.
The agency also said, the impact of the quake which struck 2 kilometers northeast of Lagangilang at 8:43 a.m., was felt in Quezon City.
Videos appeared on social media immediately after the tremor, showing damaged structures and people running into open spaces. one of the videos showed an ancient watch tower from the 16th century in the city of Vigan crumbling after the earthquake.
Local reports said people in the capital city of Manila felt the strong tremors, which lasted several seconds.
Early reports also said the United States Geological Survey did not issue tsunami alert following the Philippines earthquake.
"The quake hit at a shallow depth of 10 km beneath the epicenter near Vigan, Ilocos Sur, Ilocos, Philippines, in the morning on Wednesday, July 27th, 2022, at 8:43 am local time," said Volcano Discovery.
Philippines, which sits on the seismically active Pacific Ring of Fire, is prone to earthquakes.
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