(Photo courtesy of PIA Abra)
MANILA – A magnitude 7 earthquake jolted Abra on Wednesday, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) reported.
Phivolcs earlier logged this as magnitude 7.3.
The tectonic quake struck 3 km. northwest of the municipality of Tayum at 8:43 a.m., with a depth of 17 km.
The following are the reported intensities:
Intensity VII: Bucloc and Manabo, Abra;
Intensity VI: Vigan City, Sinait, Bantay, San Esteban, Ilocos Sur; Laoac, Pangasinan; Baguio City;
Intensity V: Magsingal and San Juan, Ilocos Sur, Alaminos City and Labrador, Pangasinan; Bambang, Nueva Vizcaya; Mexico, Pampanga; Concepcion, and Tarlac City, Tarlac; City of Manila; City of Malabon;
Intensity IV: City of Marikina; Quezon City; City of Pasig; City of Valenzuela; City of Tabuk, Kalinga; Bautista and Malasiqui, Pangasinan; Bayombong and Diadi, Nueva Vizcaya; Guiguinto, Obando, and San Rafael, Bulacan; San Mateo, Rizal;
Intensity III: Bolinao, Pangasinan; Bulakan, Bulacan; Tanay, Rizal;
Intensity II - General Trias City, Cavite; Santa Rosa City, Laguna.
Phivolcs also logged the following instrumental intensities:
Intensity VII: Vigan City;
Intensity V: Laoag City, Ilocos Norte; Peñablanca, Cagayan; Dagupan City, Pangasinan; Sinait, Ilocos Sur; Baguio City;
Intensity IV: Gonzaga, Cagayan; Baler, Aurora; Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya; Ramos, Tarlac; Ilagan, Isabela; Basista, Pangasinan; Claveria, Cagayan; San Jose, Palayan City and Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija; Madella, Quirino; Tabuk, Kalinga; Santiago City, Isabela;
Intensity III: Quezon City; Iba, Zambales; Navotas City, Malabon City, Metro Manila; Magalang & Guagua Pampanga; Bolinao, Sison and Infanta, Pangasinan; Bulakan, San Ildefonso, Guiguinto, Plaridel, and Malolos City, Bulacan; Tarlac City, Tarlac;
Intensity II: Dona Remedios Trinidad, Angat & Santa Maria, Bulacan; Tagaytay City, Cavite; Pasig City Metro Manila; Polillo, Gumaca and Infanta, Quezon;
Intensity I: Tanay, Taytay, Morong, Antipolo City, Rizal; Marilao,Bulacan; San Juan City, Las Piñas City, Metro Manila; Lucban, Quezon; Subic, Zambales; Mercedes,Camarines Norte; Olongapo City, Zambales; Carmona, Cavite.
Reported intensity is the traditional way of knowing the intensity based on reports of people who felt the earthquake while instrumental intensity is measured using an intensity meter that measures ground acceleration.
Aftershocks and damage are expected from the temblor, Phivolcs said.
Response
In a statement, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said it is coordinating with regional counterparts in the regions of Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, and Central Luzon, as well as the National Capital Region.
“Assessment continues as of now but some areas have sustained damages to public and private structures. Some areas in the Cordilleras have no power and Internet. Monitoring of mountain roads continue," it said.
Aftershocks were reported in the town of La Paz in Abra.
The town’s Operations Center Building was badly damaged by the tremor, based on pictures posted on the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) - Abra’s Facebook page.
Abra Rep. Ching Bernos also shared photos of buildings damaged by the earthquake.
In Bucay town, two were reported injured and were taken to a hospital for immediate treatment.
Meanwhile, Antonio Hauffe, 56, a balikbayan from Germany who is now vacationing in Bangued, Abra, suffered slight injuries after he was hit on the head by falling tile debris while taking a bath.
He said most employees at the different government offices have been sent home.
Netizens also posted on social media about the effects of the earthquake.
In a video posted by Edison Adducul, falling debris was seen from a watchtower in Bantay, Ilocos Sur after the earthquake.
The tremor also damaged several centuries-old ancestral houses in Vigan, Ilocos Sur, based on pictures posted by Berniemack Arellano.
The earthquake also damaged a belfry of the San Lorenzo Ruiz Church in Bangued town, one of the oldest churches in Abra built during the turn of the 19th century.
Several roads were closed due to fallen rocks and landslides from the earthquake – the Keweng-Deepey Road in Itogon, Benguet; Poblacion-Sakkawa-Wayangan Road in Tubo, Abra and the Daldalakan-Malucsad-Magsilay Road in Pasil, Kalinga.
Meanwhile, all rail services in the National Capital Region -- the LRT-1, LRT-2, MRT-3, and the Philippine National Railways -- have resumed operations as of 11:46 a.m. Wednesday.
The operations had been temporarily suspended after the quake to check the damage and ensure the safety of passengers. (with Priam Nepomuceno and Raymond Carl dela Cruz/PNA)
