A magnitude 6.1 earthquake in the north of the Philippines killed at least two people on Monday. Dozens more were injured, as the provincial governor of Pampanga, Lilia Pineda, told. According to him, a girl and his grandmother died in the collapse of a wall in the city of Lubao north of the capital Manila.
In addition, the collapse of a four-story building in the nearby town of Porac has injured at least 20 people, Pineda said. On the ground floor there was a supermarket. People are supposed to be buried there, said the governor to the television station ANC. Screams had been heard from the rubble. Rescuers are on the way.
Authorities warn of aftershocks
The epicenter of the quake was in the city of Castillejos in the province of Zambales, as the earthquake station Phivolcs announced in Quezon City. In the town with almost 65,000 inhabitants, people ran in panic on the streets, as reported by local media. Some buildings collapsed. As a result, cracks and rockfalls were observed along a major road. According to Phivolc's director Renato Solidum, no tsunami warning was expected. However, he called people to caution for possible aftershocks.
The quake was reportedly felt across the Greater Region around the Philippine capital, where people fled their offices and business buildings. The operation of the suspension railway in the Manila area was stopped for safety reasons, according to the technical director Michael Capati. Castillejos is located by land about 140 kilometers from Manila.
A tweet shows how the skyscrapers near Manila staggered by the earthquake:
Buildings swaying in Manila just now Scary, but that means they're built to withstand earthquakes like this! #earthquake #earthquakeph pic.twitter.com/oPNDZ3Koxs
- Francelle (@francelleisms) April 22, 2019The Philippines are located on the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, where around 90 percent of all earthquakes occur worldwide. The last major earthquake with a magnitude of 7.1 had cost more than 220 lives in October 2013.