By Business Mirror, April 23 2019

https://businessmirror.com.ph/2019/04/23/5-killed-as-6-1-quake-jolts-luzon-metro-manila/

Image Credit to Business Mirror

A 6.1-MAGNITUDE earthquake jolted parts of Luzon, including Metro Manila, on Monday afternoon, prompting the evacuation of workers from high- rises and government buildings, suspending train operations and causing damage to churches and public and private property.

Photos show how Monday’s late-afternoon earthquake affected people in various parts of Luzon. Top left, employees stand on Senate grounds after being evacuated; upper right, the boundary ark between Pampanga and Bataan sustains damage; center, the Saint Catherine of Alexandria church in Porac was also a casualty; above, workers mill outside office buildings at Bonifacio Global City.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said that five people were killed in Central Luzon, and quoted Vice Mayor Dexter David of Porac, Pampanga, as confirming that a supermarket in the town had collapsed, trapping at least 40 people.

Military and disaster officials reported receiving information of minor injuries and damage in adjacent areas where the temblor was also felt.

The NDRRMC did not say where the fatalities had come from, but said they were awaiting validation and further report from disaster officials in Central Luzon.

David, in an interview with GMA 7, showed videos of the ongoing rescue operation in the collapsed building.

He appealed for assistance from the national government, especially for rescuers to help the people trapped inside the supermarket, which he did not identify.

The epicenter of the tectonic quake was 2 kilometers northeast of Castillejos, Zambales, striking at around 5:11 p.m. It had a depth of 21 km, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) reported.

At around 5:15 p.m., an Intensity III earthquake was felt in Olongapo City; and  Intensity V was felt in San Felipe, Zambales, and Quezon City, according to Phivolcs Earthquake Information No. 1. Several buildings and public infrastructure also sustained damage.