Over 1.2K people evacuated in Ilocos region due to Abra quake —NDRRMC

A total of 1,248 people were evacuated in Ilocos region due to the magnitude 7.0 earthquake that hit Abra on Wednesday, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said Thursday.

In its 1 a.m. situational report, the NDRRMC added that 18 people were reported injured in Ilocos and Cagayan regions.

About 17 infrastructures were reported damaged in Ilocos, Cagayan, and Metro Manila. The damage in Ilocos was estimated at P33,800.

Two landslide incidents were reported in Ilocos.

Also, the NDRRMC reported that two roads are still not passable in Ilocos and Cagayan. Five roads and five bridges previously reported as not passable are now passable.

One town experienced power interruption.

Around  20 classes and 54 work schedules were suspended in Ilocos due to the earthquake.

Ilocos Sur

In Ilocos Sur, 29,283 people are staying in evacuation centers following Wednesday's powerful earthquake, Michael Chan of the Ilocos Sur Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (PDRRM) told Unang Balita on Thursday.

Chan said the evacuees fear returning to their homes due to the expected aftershocks.

"Ito (evacuees) 'yung mga nailikas at nasa iba't-ibang evacuation centers sa takot sa aftershocks sa Ilocos Sur," he said.

So far, Ilocos Sur has recorded only one fatality, an 88-year-old woman, Chan said. Twenty-five people were hurt.

The quake occurred at 8:43 a.m. on Wednesday and was located at 17.64°N, 120.63°E - 003 km N 45° W of Tayum in Abra and had a depth of 17 kilometers, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) said.

It was felt strongly in several areas in Luzon, including in Metro Manila. —LBG/KBK/RSJ, GMA News