The 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck northern Luzon, the country’s most populous island, at 8:43 a.m. local time (8:43 p.m. ET), according to the US Geological Survey (USGS). The agency initially pegged the quake at 7.1 before downgrading it to 7.0.
Its epicenter was about 13 kilometers (8 miles) southeast of the small town of Dolores, Abra province, at a depth of 10 kilometers (6.2 miles), according to the USGS. Its impact was felt in the capital, Manila, more than 400 kilometers (about 250 miles) away.
More than 21,000 people were affected by the quake, which caused about $687 million in infrastructure damage, according to the Philippine National Center for Disaster Risk Reduction and Management.
Infrastructure was damaged in northern Luzon, including more than 400 homes, dozens of schools, several hospitals and bridges, as well as the century-old Vigan Cathedral and Banta Bell Tower, the state-run Philippine News Agency (PNA) reported, citing the Office of Civil Defense (OCD).
Abra is a landlocked region known for its deep valleys and mountainous terrain. Pictures from the countryside showed buildings damaged by the quake and debris covering the ground. One building can be seen with cracks in the walls, while another lies tilted on its side.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. landed in Abra on Thursday to survey the damage. Power has been restored in most areas, he said, but access to water remains a problem.
The quake triggered landslides, with pictures showing large rocks and boulders falling onto a road in the town of Bauko, south of the epicenter. Other photos show people working to clear the debris.
Interior Minister Benjamin Abalos Jr. told a news conference that 58 landslides were reported and more than 200 cities in 15 provinces were affected by the quake.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said citizens should prepare for any aftershocks, but added that it had not issued a tsunami warning because the quake was felt inland.
Correction: An earlier version of this story misstated Ching Bernos’ position. She is a congresswoman from Abra province. An earlier version of this story also misstated when the earthquake occurred. It was Wednesday in the Philippines.
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