At least eight people were killed when a 6,4-magnitude earthquake hit the Philippines' largest island of Luzon today, and officials fear dozens more could be trapped in the rubble of businesses and shops that were destroyed by the quake.
The earthquake, which occurred about 60 kilometers from the capital Manila, at a depth of about 40 kilometers, disrupted air, rail and road traffic and caused damage to buildings and infrastructure, reports Reuters.
Buildings in downtown Manila were shaken by the earthquake, the strongest to hit the capital region in years.
The earthquake occurred at 17.11:11.11 local time (40:100 CET) at a depth of XNUMX kilometers. The epicenter is about XNUMX kilometers northwest of Manila.
Three bodies were pulled from the ruins of a shopping center in the town of Porak, about XNUMX kilometers northwest of Manila on the island of Luzon, while a child and his grandmother died in a collapsed building in the nearby town of Lubao, provincial governor Lilia Pineda told ABS-CBN television.
She said there were believed to be more people trapped in the rubble of the shopping center and added that there could be up to eight dead.
"The rescuers are telling us there are people out there calling for help," she said.
She added that 20 people were rescued and transferred to the hospital, as well as that the earthquake caused a power outage, which made it difficult for the rescuers to work.
Thousands of travelers were stranded after the earthquake-damaged Clark International Airport closed.
The airport, located on a former US military base, is about an hour's drive north of the capital.
In Lubao, the tower of a 17th-century Catholic church, one of the oldest in the area, was damaged, authorities said.
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