At Least 5 Dead After 7.0-Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Philippines: 'Thought the Ground Would Open Up'
A powerful earthquake struck near the Philippines capital of Manila, killing at least five people and injuring dozens more.
President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr. addressed the tragedy on Twitter, writing that it occurred at 8:43 a.m. Wednesday.
The Associated Press reported that the earthquake took place in the mountains within the province of Abra on the country's Luzon island, citing Renato Solidum, head of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS).
The latter group initially said that the earthquake packed a magnitude of 7.3. According to the AP, further analysis put the earthquake at 7.0, making it one of the most powerful on record to ever hit the Asian country.
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Bureau of Fire Protection via AP Philippines earthquake
Michael Brillantes, a safety officer in Lagangilang within the Abra province, told the AP of the event, "The ground shook like I was on a swing and the lights suddenly went out."
"We rushed out of the office, and I heard screams and some of my companions were in tears," he added. "It was the most powerful quake I've felt and I thought the ground would open up."
Bureau of Fire Protection via AP Philippines earthquake
Two of the five people killed were in the Benguet province and one was in Abra, Reuters reported.
According to the latter outlet, 173 buildings were damaged as a result of the earthquake and 58 landslides were reported. Of the 60 injured, 44 were in the Abra province, Reuters said.
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In all, Interior Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. said at a government news conference, the earthquake affected 218 towns across 15 provinces, CNN reported.
Abra province congresswoman Rep. Ching Bernos said in a statement obtained by CNN that the earthquake "caused damages to many households and establishments," and "was also felt in various parts of Luzon and activated preemptive measures in many places."
The US Geological Survey (USGS) said on their website following the disaster, "Since 1970, 11 other earthquakes of magnitude 6.5 or larger have occurred within 250 km of the July 27, 2022 earthquake. The largest of these earthquakes was a magnitude 7.7 strike slip earthquake on July 16, 1990 located approximately 215 km south of the July 27 earthquake."
"The 1990 earthquake killed at least 1,600 people and injured more than 3,000 people," the USGS went on. "The 1990 earthquake also caused landslides, liquefaction, subsidence, and sandblows in the Baguio-Cabanatuan-Dagupan area."
