Strong Earthquake Jolts Philippines; at least 5 killed, many still trapped

A strong earthquake with a magnitude of 6.3 jolted the Philippines and left at least five people dead. It struck 60 km northwest of Manila at a depth of 40 km.

The governor of Pampanga province, Lilia Pineda said three bodies had been pulled out of a collapsed building in the town of Porac, while an old woman and her grandchild were crushed to death in Lubao. The province is about 90 km north of Manila. Authorities rescued dozens of people from a low-rise building that collapsed in Porac, however, many remained trapped inside. An airport at the Clark special economic zone in Pampanga was shut down for at least 24 hours.

Airport officials said they would have to inspect the runway for damages. Rail operations were also suspended as authorities have yet to inspect the railway lines. Photos and videos posted on social media showed tens of thousands of people fleeing office and residential buildings as well as shopping malls across Manila, a sprawling metropolis of 16 cities and one town and home to over 12 million, as emergency alarms blared.

The Philippines is part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, an arc of intense seismic activity that stretches from quake-prone Japan, through Southeast Asia and across the Pacific basin.