At least 64 people were injured and 173 buildings were damaged, officials said, many in Abra province, just 11 kilometers (six miles) from the epicenter. More than 200 aftershocks have been recorded in the region, according to the state seismological agency, and 58 landslides were also reported afterward. “Despite the sad reports of the damage caused by the earthquake, we assure a quick response to those in need and affected by this disaster,” President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said on Facebook. READ MORE: A new earthquake warning system will prepare Canada for dangerous shaking The earthquake struck near the political stronghold of the Marcos family. Renato Solidum, director of the state seismology service, told DZRH radio station that strong aftershocks were expected. The earthquake struck near the political stronghold of the Marcos family. A hospital in Abra province was evacuated after the building partially collapsed, but no casualties were reported there, officials said. Emergency crew conduct rescue operations outside a building that collapsed during the earthquake, in La Trinidad, Benguet, Philippines, July 27, 2022. Public Information Service-Bureau of Fire Protection / Handout via Reuters Abra Vice Governor Joy Bernos posted photos of the damaged Abra Hospital on her Facebook account, which showed a gaping hole in its facade. Other photos showed hospital beds, including one with a patient, being wheeled down a road and hospital staff being evacuated. Two people were killed in Benguet province, one in Abra province, one in Kalinga and another in Cagayan Valley.
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Ambra, home to nearly 250,000 people, is a landlocked province in the northern Philippines. Its deep valleys and sloping hills are surrounded by rugged mountains. The Philippines is prone to natural disasters and lies on the seismically active Pacific “Ring of Fire,” a belt of volcanoes and faults that arc around the edge of the Pacific Ocean. Earthquakes are common and there are an average of 20 typhoons each year, some of which trigger deadly landslides. Eric Singson, a congressman in Ilocos Sur province, also in the north, told radio station DZMM that the quake was felt there and lasted 30 seconds or more. “I thought my house was going to fall down,” Singson said. “Now, we’re trying to reach people… Right now there are aftershocks, so we’re out of our house.” Emergency crew assess damage outside a building that collapsed during the earthquake, in La Trinidad, Benguet, Philippines, July 27, 2022. Public Information Service-Bureau of Fire Protection/Handout via Reuters The earthquake damaged heritage buildings in the city of Vigan, known for its old Spanish colonial architecture, on the west coast of Luzon. Tourist Edison Adducul told the radio that he was taking pictures from the bell tower of the Bantay Church in Vigan when the earthquake struck, shaking the tower for up to three minutes. The normally busy streets of Vigan were deserted on Wednesday afternoon and shops, hotels and businesses remained closed. Many of the roads had been cleared of debris. Senator Imee Marcos said several churches were damaged. SEE ALSO: Everyone needs an emergency kit at home. See what to stock up on with yours “Antique bricks and coral stones fell from the Bandai bell tower,” he said. The quake was also felt in Manila, where several buildings were evacuated, with some people forced to leave the 30th floor of one building, and the city’s subway rail systems ground to a halt during rush hour. (This was originally reported by Reuters’ Neil Jerome Morales and Karen Lema. Additional reporting by Enrico dela Cruz; Writing by Ed Davies; Editing by Michael Perry, Robert Birsel)
