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7.0 magnitude earthquake shakes Philippines killing 5, UNESCO heritage site and churches sustain damage

An earthquake with a magnitude of 7.3 hit the Philippines' Luzon island damaging the 18th Century Vigan Cathedral

Update:  Shallow earthquakes tend to cause more damage than deeper ones. The earthquake that hit the Philippines on Wednesday, July 26, left more than a hundred people injured across the hilly, triggered dozens of landslides, damaged buildings and knocked out power. The death toll in the earthquake till now has been reported to be 5. The numbers are expected to rise as rescue efforts go on. 

In Bangued, the provincial capital of Abra, a 23-year-old woman was reportedly killed after a wall fell on her, police said. At least 78 were injured in the area. A worker was pinned to death after a small building that was under construction collapsed in the strawberry-growing mountain town of La Trinidad. In another instance a villager died when hit by falling cement slabs in his house in Abra

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A massive earthquake of 7.0 magnitude hit Lagangilang, Abra, causing people and workers in Luzon in the Philippines to flee to safer ground on Wednesday, July 26. Although the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Philvolcs) recorded Intensity 4 shaking in Quezon City, citizens in Metro Manila and neighboring provinces also experienced significant shaking that lasted several seconds, reports CNN Philippines.

Following the massive earthquake, Phivolcs cautioned the public to expect aftershocks and damage. Phivolcs chief Renato Solidum told CNN: "That's a major earthquake. Anything larger than Magnitude 7 can be disastrous," Also, the United States Geological Survey said there is no tsunami threat following the earthquake that hit Luzon. It is still early to report on the extent of damage or casaulties, MEAWW will update the article once we receive more information. 

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Phivolcs shared the earthquake information on Twitter to alert people. The Tweet reads: 

People who witnessed the devastating earthquake shared their experiences on social media. A Twitter user Myookeigo tweeted, "stay safe, northerners. I still feel dizzy but power is back in our area. let's pray for no or at least fewer and less powerful aftershocks." Another wrote, "No wonder everyone in the neighborhood got woken up it was a magnitude 7.3 earthquake." Others on social media posted videos and images of the damage the earthquake caused. 

According to USGS, the tectonics of the northern Philippines and the area surrounding the island of Luzon is complex. Subduction zones surround Luzon to the east and west. In the northern region of Luzon, where the July 27 earthquake occurred, the subduction zone location and direction changed, with the trench located west of Luzon and the Sunda plate subducting eastward beneath the Philippine Sea plate. Since 1970, 11 other earthquakes of magnitude 6.5 or larger have occurred within 250 km of the July 27, 2022, earthquake. 

The 1990 earthquake in Luzon

The 7.3 earthquake is an eerie reminder of one of the deadliest quakes to have hit the Philippines. The Great Luzon Earthquake of July 1990 had a magnitude of 7.8 and a depth of 25 kilometers and struck the Philippine island of Luzon at 4:26 pm (local time) on July 16 (PDT) struck the northern and central parts of Luzon. This earthquake killed at least 1,600 people and injured more than 3,000 people. The 1990 earthquake also caused landslides, liquefaction, subsidence, and sand blow in the Baguio-Cabanatuan-Dagupan area. 

Earthquake damages Vigan Cathedral 

The 7.3 magnitude earth severely damaged the 18th-century Roman Catholic place of worship. There were no initial reports of significant injuries or deaths as a result of the quake, which occurred roughly 11 kilometers (six miles) southeast of Dolores and at a shallow depth of 10 kilometers (6 miles).  According to the Manila Times, several churches were damaged. Archbishop Marlo Peralta confirmed that the facade of the Vigan Cathedral was damaged. The cathedral forms part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Some of the cathedral's wall appears to have crumbled. Aside from the Vigan Cathedral, the Kalinga Cathedrals was also damaged by the strong earthquake.

Renato Solidum, director of the state seismology agency, told DZRH radio station:  “The focus of attention is on Abra and nearby provinces. This is a major earthquake,” Solidum said also mentioning about landslides being reported in some parts of Abra, particularly in Manabo. Abra  in northern Philippines houses nearly 250,000 people.

Abra Governor Joy Brenos posted photos of damaged Abra provincial hospital on her Facebook account. Her message reads: "Announcement from Governor Dominic DADS Valera: Suspension of work and classes, today, July 27, 2022, for all government agencies/units/ schools in the province of abra. Keep safe kaprobinsyaan! #EO will be posted later. pls bear with us."