Landslides and energy interruptions had been reported throughout the northern island of Luzon. About 15 cities and 280 cities felt the quake, and a number of other roads had been rendered impassable.

The quake was felt within the capital, Manila, however was stronger within the north, affecting the northwestern area of Ilocos and Mountain Province, north of the vacationer metropolis of Baguio. Church buildings and historic buildings had been broken.

In a viral video, elements of the centuries-old Bantay Bell Tower in Vigan Metropolis, capital of Ilocos Sur, fell as onlookers in an adjoining park ran.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. mentioned he plans to go to affected websites on Thursday. “We’re ensuring there may be sufficient response to the wants of our countrymen affected by this catastrophe,” he mentioned in a press release.

The Philippines is positioned alongside the Ring of Hearth, a path across the Pacific Ocean know for earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. The archipelago within the western Pacific Ocean is also frequented by typhoons.

In accordance with the USGS, 11 different earthquakes magnitude 6.5 or greater have taken place inside 250 kilometers (155 miles) of the present quake. The deadliest of those was a 7.7-magnitude earthquake in 1990 that killed greater than 1,600 and injured 3,000.

The nation can also be anticipating a 7.2-magnitude earthquake, identified regionally as “the Huge One,” when a 100-kilometer (62-mile) fault line reducing throughout the Manila area shifts. Authorities say the fault final moved in 1658, and it may trigger “nice devastation” within the capital area when it strikes once more.

In a information briefing on Wednesday, Marcos mentioned that he would assist the creation of a brand new division for catastrophe resilience. “I don’t prefer to say it, however it appears like this shall be extra frequent,” he mentioned, referring to disasters and excessive climate occasions. “We’d like extra functionality than we now have now.”