A moderate earthquake shook Baguio City on Thursday morning, forcing the evacuation of buildings and the closure of schools. It occurred at 10:30 a.m., 10 days after a powerful earthquake in Cebu killed more than 70 people.
According to the Baguio City Public Information Office, employees quickly evacuated the office and other buildings. Ralph Cabuag, building administrator, said "we will assess the damage" as more than 300 employees and patients evacuated the city's three-story health office.
Mayor Benjamin Magalong has ordered the temporary closure of elementary and high schools in Baguio. The Baguio City Health Services Office added that the emergency room of the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center is busy due to the large number of patients. Anyone in need of medical services, first aid, or counseling can also go to the BCHSO or any of the 16 District Health Centers in the city.
The seismology office said the epicenter of the earthquake was in the town of Pugo, near Baguio. To recall, in July 1990, a 7.8 earthquake killed about 1,600 people in Baguio and surrounding areas.
Quakes are common in the Philippines, which is located on the Pacific Ring of Fire, an area frequently hit by earthquakes. On the same day, it was reported that 74 people had died in Cebu and nearly 72,000 houses had been destroyed or damaged, while 1,058 people were injured.
