At least 26 injured in magnitude 6.4 earthquake in the Philippines | News

The tremor was felt as far away as the capital Manila, more than 330 kilometers (205 miles) south of the epicenter.

At least 26 people have been injured by a 6.4-magnitude earthquake that struck the northern Philippines, forcing the closure of an international airport, sending panicked residents into the streets and causing substantial damage to a hospital.

The quake, which struck around 10:59 p.m. Tuesday (1459 GMT) near the highland city of Dolores, was felt as far away as the capital Manila, more than 330 kilometers (205 miles). ) to the south.

Police and civil aviation officials said at least 26 people were injured in Ilocos Norte, the home province of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, where the international airport in the capital city of Laoag was ordered temporarily closed on Wednesday due to damage. caused by the earthquake.

The president, also known as Bongbong, warned of aftershocks on Wednesday and advised people, in a tweet, to stay away from tall structures.

As aftershocks continue, we remain in coordination with DPWH for road and building inspection, DSWD for relief, DOE for outages, and DILG for monitoring.

Everyone is advised to stay away from tall structures.

Agridam ken agananadtayo, kakailian. Umaykamin a tumulong. https://t.co/akf8YkJOcW

– Bongbong Marcos (@bongbongmarcos) October 26, 2022

Patients were evacuated from the 200-bed Mariano Marcos Memorial Hospital in the city of Batac, about 60 kilometers (37 miles) north of the epicenter, which suffered some of the worst damage reported so far.

At least two towns in Cagayan province were temporarily without power due to damaged power lines. Several bridges and highways in outlying provinces were damaged.

In the city of La Paz in Abra, a century-old Christian church was damaged, with parts of its steeple collapsed and some walls cracked, littering the church’s grassy courtyard with debris, authorities said.

Notable earthquake, preliminary information: M 6.5 – 11 km ENE of Dolores, Philippines https://t.co/q9auPOPbUW

— USGS Earthquakes (@USGS_Quakes) October 25, 2022

Dolores City Police Officer Jeffrey Blanes said “buildings were shaking, so people ran.”

A member of the public in the municipality of Aparri, located more than 100 km (62 mi) from the epicenter, posted on the European-Mediterranean Seismological Center (EMSC) website that it was the most extensive tremor they had experienced.

“The longest earthquake I have ever felt. Thank God we are safe. Stay safe everyone,” the post read.

ℹSummary of the event: today an M6.6 #earthquake (#lindol) paste #banged (#Philippines) at 22:59:03 local time (UTC 14:59:03). Approximately 16 million people in the Philippines felt the tremor along 300 km.

— EMSC (@LastQuake) October 25, 2022

Photos of collapsed ceilings in some of the hospital rooms, as well as dozens of patients waiting on chairs in the driveway, were posted on the official Facebook page of the local fire service.

“The authorities made us leave the building while they checked the integrity of the building… We are currently conducting a damage assessment,” Tom Tabije, a hospital worker, told the AFP news agency by phone.

The civil defense office in Abra province, where Dolores is located, said there were no immediate reports of casualties, but the extent of the damage would not be known until morning.

“We cannot do a comprehensive impact assessment now because it is night and we are also thinking about the safety of our people,” Abra rescuer Joel de Leon told AFP by phone.

Eleven people were killed and several hundred were injured in July when a Size 7.0earthquake hit the mountainous province of Abra causing landslides and fissures in the ground. October 2013, magnitude 7.1 earthquake shook the central island of Boholkilling over 200 people.

Earthquakes occur daily in the Philippines, which lies along the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” an arc of intense seismic and volcanic activity that stretches from Japan through Southeast Asia and the Pacific Rim.