7.1 earthquake hits north Philippines

International

oi-Prakash KL

Manila,
July
27:
An
earthquake
with
a
magnitude
of
7.1
jolted
near
Dolores
in
the
northern
Philippines
on
Wednesday,
the
US
Geological
Survey
(USGS)
said.

The
quake,
which
struck
at
00:43
GMT,
was
initially
determined
to
be
at
17.5978
degrees
north
latitude
and
120.8093
degrees
east
longitude
with
a
depth
of
10.0
km.

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According
to
the
Philippine
Institute
of
Volcanology
and
Seismology,
the
quake
was
centered
around
Abra
province
in
a
mountainous
area
and
it
was
set
off
by
movement
in
a
local
fault
at
a
depth
of
25
kilometers.

Several
buildings
have
suffered
cracks,
officials
told
Associated
Press.

There
were
no
immediate
reports
of
deaths
or
injuries.
Electricity
has
been
automatically
cut
off
in
some
affected
areas
as
a
safety
precaution.

“The
focus
of
attention
is
on
Abra
and
nearby
provinces.
This
is
a
major
earthquake.
We
expect
strong
aftershocks,”
said
Renato
Solidum,
director
of
the
state
seismology
agency.

It
may
be
recalled
that
a
magnitude
7.7
quake
killed
nearly
2,000
people
in
the
northern
Philippines
in
1990.