The quake struck in northern Luzon, the country’s most populous island, at 8:43 a.m. local time (8:43 p.m. ET), according to USGS. The agency originally designated the quake 7.1-magnitude, before downgrading it to 7.0.
Its epicenter was about 13 kilometers (8 miles) southeast of the small town of Dolores, with a depth of 10 kilometers (6.2 miles), according to USGS.
In a statement, Ching Bernos, mayor of La Paz in Abra province, said the quake “caused damages to many households and establishments,” and “was also felt in various parts of Luzon and activated preemptive measures in many places.”
Her office is monitoring the situation and assessing the extent of the damage, she added, while urging the public to stay alert “in light of the possibilities of aftershocks.”
The earthquake’s impact was felt in the capital city, Manila, more than 400 kilometers (about 250 miles) away, where workers and residents evacuated from buildings and gathered on the street.
Abra, the province where the quake took place, is a landlocked region known for deep valleys and mountainous terrain.
This is a developing story.
