Manila, Philippines — A strong earthquake struck northern Philippines on Wednesday, injuring at least one person, damaging buildings and encouraging many people in the capital to run outdoors.
Renato Solidam, director of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Earthquakes, said the seven-magnitude earthquake occurred mainly in the mountainous province of Abra.
“The ground shook like I was on a swing, and suddenly the lights went out. We hurried out of the office, heard a scream, and some of our friends wept,” said the epicenter. Michael Brirantes, a safety officer in the nearby town of Lagangilang in Abra, said.
“I thought it was the most powerful quake I had ever felt and the ground would open,” Brillantes told The Associated Press on his mobile phone.
At least one elderly villager suffered a cut in his leg and was treated in the clinic, according to Brillantes.
Authorities were checking for damage and landslides in a hillside village at the northern end of Abra, a landlocked agricultural area.
Seismic intensity dropped from the first 7.3 magnitude after further analysis. According to the institute, the quake was caused by movement on a local fault 25 km (15 miles) deep, adding to the expected damage and aftershocks.
The US Geological Survey measured seismic intensity at 7.0 and depth at 10 km (6 miles). Shallow earthquakes tend to cause more damage.
The Philippines is located along the Ring of Fire, the arc of faults around the Pacific Ocean where most of the world’s earthquakes occur. In addition, about 20 typhoons and tropical storms hit each year, making it one of the most disaster-prone countries in the world.
A magnitude 7.7 earthquake killed nearly 2,000 people in the northern Philippines in 1990.
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