Aftershocks rocked the northern Philippines early Wednesday, hours after a strong earthquake injured at least 26 people and caused substantial damage to a hospital and several old churches, authorities said.
The 6.4-magnitude quake struck the mountain town of Dolores in Abra province Tuesday night, followed by more than 400 aftershocks over the rest of the night, the state seismology office said.
Rescuers pulled out 10 residents from damaged buildings in Ilocos Norte, where 15 people sustained injuries, authorities said.
“We hid under a table and my family only went out of the house after the shaking stopped,” Abra rescuer Ron Sequerra said, adding his family had been woken by strong ground shaking.
Six people were injured in the Abra town of Lagayan, Sequerra added.
The Lagayan mayor’s office and a high school building were sealed off after they sustained cracks and broken glass windows, according to pictures posted on the town’s official Facebook page.
In the city of Batac in the neighboring province of Ilocos Norte, several patients spent most of the night outside a government hospital after the ceiling collapsed on several rooms and damaged equipment, hospital staff said.
Boulders rolling down a hillside temporarily blocked a road linking Batac to the nearby town of Banna, but rescue officials said the landslide had since been cleared.
A number of old churches in Abra and Ilocos Norte also sustained damage, the civil defense office said.
Ilocos Norte Gov. Matthew Manotoc declared a school holiday and government workers were told not to report for work as the authorities inspected the integrity of buildings.
In July, a 7.0-magnitude quake also in mountainous Abra province triggered landslides and ground fissures, killing 11 people and injuring several hundred others, according to the official count.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. assured the public the government is on top of the situation, adding that there is enough food and shelter for the survivors of the earthquake in the affected areas.
“We do not have a critical problem when it comes to food and shelter. That is the most important part of the relief that we have to provide now for the people affected by the earthquake last night,” Mr. Marcos said.
The President said he is monitoring the situation in the area.
Citing reports he received, families are asking for tents as they fear for their safety due to possible aftershocks following the magnitude 6.4 tremor.
The President said schools remain closed for the day as officials check on the structural integrity of school buildings.
“Everyone is advised to keep out of tall structures,” he continued, and reminded people in affected areas to remain vigilant as the region continues to experience aftershocks.
Power in Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur has been restored, he added.
Tuesday night’s quake came just three months after being a magnitude 7 earthquake rocked the same area.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said the tremor struck at 10:59 p.m.
Intensity 6 was felt in La Paz in Abra; Banna City of Batac, Carasu, Dingras, Laoag City, and Sarrat in Ilocos Norte.
The epicenter of the quake was at seven kilometers northwest of Lagayan, Abra, and was close to the Ilocos fault system. It was tectonic in origin with a depth of focus of 11 kilometers.
At least 409 aftershocks have been recorded after a magnitude 6.4 earthquake jolted Lagayan, Abra on Tuesday night, Phivolcs said Wednesday.
Phivolcs officer-in-charge Teresito Bacolcol said that five of these aftershocks were felt, with the strongest one having a magnitude of 4.8.
Bacolcol said that it would probably take several days or weeks for the aftershocks to dissipate.
He also said there was no connection between the Abra quake and the magnitude 5.2 temblor that struck Lingig, Surigao del Sur on Tuesday night.
Meanwhile, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines suspended flight operations at the Laoag International Airport in Ilocos Norte.
“CAAP issued NOTAM (notice to airmen) regarding closure of airport operations in Laoag Airport effective today, October 26, 7:00 a.m. until tomorrow, Oct. 27, 7:10 a.m.,” the agency said in an advisory.
It said two flights were cancelled, including Philippine Airlines flights between Manila and Laoag.
Aviation authorities led by Area 1 Manager Ronald Estabillo were conducting assessments of the airport’s runway, buildings, and other structures.
The closure might be extended if damage assessment and repair work are not completed as scheduled.
CAAP spokesman Eric Apolonio said that other airports in Northern Luzon reported no damage to their facilities.