Philippines hit by magnitude 6.3 quake felt in metro Manila
The quake occurred 1 kilometer from Gutad, located to the northwest of Manila, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The Philippines was struck by a 6.3 magnitude earthquake late Monday afternoon that shook buildings in the capital and prompted the evacuation of thousands onto the streets of Manila.
At least five people were killed, including three pulled from a collapsed building in Pampanga and a grandmother and child pinned to the wall of another building in the same province, ABS-CBN News reported, citing local officials. Pampanga province is home to the Clark economic zone, where the government is building a back-up capital.
Several areas in Luzon island including Metro Manila suffered power outages as the quake affected several power plants, the Department of Energy said. Petron Corp., the Philippines’ largest oil company, said the earthquake triggered the protective tripping of some units at its refinery. This caused the plant to shutdown, which was followed “by the usual flaring of gases as required,” the company said, adding that there was no fire at the refinery.
National Grid Corp. said it has restored power transmission services in some areas affected by the quake.
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Threat of tsunami is unlikely
The quake occurred 1 kilometer from Gutad, located to the northwest of Manila, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The Philippine disaster monitoring agency said the quake struck Castillejos in Zambales province at 5:11 p.m. local time.
The government’s civil defense units and disaster monitoring agency are still gathering data from different regions on the extent of any damage to people and properties, spokesman Edgar Posadas said in a mobile phone message. Aftershocks were still felt in Manila at least an hour after the original tremor. No tsunami threat is seen from the quake, according to the disaster monitoring agency.
Located along the Pacific Ring of Fire, the Philippines is prone to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. The last major quake hit Cebu and Bohol islands in 2013.
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