A day after the earthquake in the Philippines, the authorities published new casualty figures. More than 13,000 people are affected.
MANILA – After a 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck the main island of Luzon in the Philippines on Wednesday morning (July 27), the number of victims rose again. Civil protection in the Southeast Asian island state is now assuming 130 deaths.
The epicenter was in the province of Abra in the north of the island of Luzon. The region is 335 kilometers north of the capital Manila. The earthquake triggered dozens of landslides and collapsed buildings. In the capital Manila, more than 300 kilometers away, the skyscrapers swayed. According to the USGS, the epicenter was near the surface of the earth, which usually causes more damage than deeper tremors.
The earthquake triggered hundreds of aftershocks – another large earthquake is possible
The Philippine Seismological Institute recorded almost 300 weaker aftershocks, several of which were between 4.7 and 5.2 magnitude. Many residents had therefore spent the night outdoors. It is also not excluded “that another strong earthquake will occur,” said the head of the authority, Renato Solidum. On Thursday, the new President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. traveled to the affected area and spoke to those affected.
Most of the dead and injured were hit by falling parts of buildings, landslides and falling rocks. According to the authorities, almost 13,000 people are affected by the consequences of the earthquake, which also damaged schools, hospitals, roads and bridges.
Earthquakes are common in the Philippines
The Philippines lies on the Pacific Ring of Fire – the most geologically active zone on earth, where tectonic plates collide beneath the earth’s surface. Earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are not uncommon in the Southeast Asian country.
In October 2013, 220 people were killed in the center of the country in the last violent earthquake with a magnitude of 7.1. In July 1990, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake on the island of Luzon killed more than 2,400 people and triggered a landslide more than 100 kilometers long. (tk with afp/dpa)
