'Several' Killed in Philippines Earthquake

2019-04-23

A strong earthquake in the northern Philippines Monday left several people dead, trapping others in buildings and damaging the capital's secondary airport.

The quake hit the main island of Luzon with a magnitude of 6.3, centered some 60 kilometers away from the capital city of Manila, according to the U.S. Geological survey.

The Clark International Airport, a former U.S. military base which now functions as Manila's secondary airport, was closed Monday after the quake damaged check-in counters and ceilings.

Witnesses reported seeing skyscrapers in the capital city of Manila sway during the tremors. Some people in the town of Porac are believed to be trapped in a four-story building, from where three bodies have been recovered, according to the French press agency (AFP) .

The Philippines is part of the Pacific "Ring of Fire" — an arc of volcanoes and fault lines which includes earthquake-prone Japan and stretches through Southeast Asia and across the Pacific basin.

Source: Voice of America