7.1 Richter Scale Earthquake Shakes Philippines: Four People Killed And Dozens Injured, Damaged Historic Buildings, Spanish Colonial Heritage

JAKARTA - A magnitude 7.1 earthquake that struck the northern Philippine island of Luzon on Wednesday killed four people, damaged buildings, and sent strong tremors felt as far away as Manila.

Two people died in Benguet province, one in Abra province and another in another province, Interior Minister Benjamin Abalos told a news conference. Sixty people were injured, he said.

The quake struck about 11 km (six miles) southeast of the city of Dolores at a shallow depth of 10 km (6 miles), according to US Geological Survey data.

"Despite the sad report of the damage caused by the earthquake, we ensure a swift response to those in need and impacted by this disaster", President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said on Facebook.

Meanwhile, Renato Solidum, director of the state seismological agency, told radio station DZRH that strong aftershocks were expected.

"The focus of attention is on Abra and the surrounding provinces. This is a big earthquake", said Solidum.

Abalos said 173 buildings were damaged and 58 landslides were reported, with 44 of the 60 injured in Abra province.

Separately, a hospital in Abra province was evacuated after part of the building collapsed, but no casualties were reported there, officials said.

Abra's deputy governor, Joy Bernos, posted a photo of the run-down Abra hospital on his Facebook account, which showed a gaping hole in its facade. Other photos show hospital beds, including one with a patient, being pushed across the road and evacuating hospital staff.

Abra, home to nearly 250,000 people, is a landlocked province in the northern Philippines. Its deep valleys and gentle hills are surrounded by rugged mountains.

The Philippines is prone to natural disasters and lies on the seismically active Pacific "Ring of Fire", a group of volcanoes and fault lines that circle the edge of the Pacific Ocean. Earthquakes are frequent and there are an average of 20 typhoons each year, some triggering deadly landslides.

Eric Singson, a congressman in Ilocos Sur province, also to the north, told radio station DZMM that the quake was strong there and lasted 30 seconds or more.

"I thought my house was going to fall. Now, we are trying to reach people. Right now there are aftershocks so we are outside our house", said Singson.

Not only that, but this earthquake also damaged heritage buildings in the city of Vigan, which is famous for its ancient Spanish colonial architecture, on the west coast of Luzon.

Tourist Edison Adducul told the radio that he was taking a photo of the Bell tower of Bantay Church in Vigan when the quake hit, shaking the tower for up to three minutes.

Senator Imee Marcos said several churches were damaged. "Antique bricks and coral fell from the Bantay Bell Tower", he said.

The quake was also felt in Manila where several buildings were evacuated, with some people forced to evacuate from the 30th floor of a building, and the city's subway system was suspended during rush hour.