C T Online Desk: A 7.1-magnitude earthquake hit the northern Philippines Wednesday, the US Geological Survey said, shattering windows of buildings at the epicentre and shaking high-rise towers more than 300 kilometres (185 miles) away in the capital Manila.
The shallow but powerful quake struck the mountainous and lightly populated province of Abra on the main island of Luzon at 8:43 am (0043 GMT), the USGS said.
Shallow earthquakes tend to cause more damage than deeper ones.
In the municipality of Dolores, which felt the full force of the quake, terrified people ran outside their homes and shops, and the local market’s windows were shattered, Police Major Edwin Sergio told AFP.
“The quake was very strong,” Sergio said, adding there were small cracks in the police station building.
“Vegetables and fruits sold in the market were also disarranged after tables were toppled.”
A video posted on Facebook and verified by AFP showed cracks in the asphalt road and ground in the nearby town of Bangued, though there was no visible damage to houses or stores.
But a number of injured people in Bangued were taken to hospital, police chief Major Nazareno Emia told AFP.
