7.1-magnitude earthquake jolts northern Philippines, tremors felt 300 km away in capital Manila
Some buildings were damaged in Manila after the earthquake rocked the capital. (Photo: AFP)
A strong 7.1-magnitude earthquake shook the northern Philippines on Wednesday. The tremors damaged buildings and forced people to run outdoors in capital Manila, 300 kilometres away from the epicentre in Abra province.
Few people received minor injuries but there were no reports of casualties.
Shallow depth: The earthquake occurred at a shallow depth (approximately 10 km) and was the result of oblique reverse faulting, said the USGS. Shallow earthquakes cause more damage than deeper ones.
The ground shook: "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," said Michael Brillantes, a safety officer of Abra town, reported AP.
In Dolores, another town near the epicentre, terrified people ran outside their buildings and windows of the local market were shattered, Police Major Edwin Sergio told AFP. "The quake was very strong," Sergio said, adding there were minor cracks in the police station building.
Aftershocks: "We are still experiencing aftershocks. We have received reports of damages to houses. But so far no casualties," Mayor Rovelyn Villamor in the town of Lagangilang in Abra province told Reuters.
Earthquake-prone region: Since 1970, 11 other earthquakes of magnitude 6.5 or larger have occurred within 250 km of today's earthquake's centre.
The largest of these earthquakes was a magnitude 7.7 earthquake on July 16, 1990, located 215 km south of Abra province. The 1990 earthquake killed at least 1,600 people and injured more than 3,000 people, said the USGS.
In October 2013, a magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck Bohol Island in the central Philippines, killing over 200 people.
Ring of fire: The Philippines lies along the Pacific "Ring of Fire," an arc of faults around the Pacific Ocean where most of the world's earthquakes occur. The country has also experienced several typhoons and tropical storms each year, making it one of the world's most disaster-prone countries, reported AP.