Earthquake death toll rises to eight as rescue operations continue

earthquake
Left, the collapsed supermarket in Porac and, right, damage to Clark Airport’s passenger terminal

Eight people have been confirmed dead in two towns near Angeles City after a powerful 6.1 magnitude earthquake rocked parts of Luzon.

Pampanga Governor Lilia Pineda today said that five people in Porac and Lubao died when their houses collapsed, while three bodies have been retrieved from a collapsed supermarket.

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Gov. Pineda said there were an unknown number of people still trapped inside the Chuzon Supermarket in Porac, and that rescue workers are working to save survivors and retrieve possible casualties.

Following the earthquake at 5.11pm, power outages occurred all over the province, including Angeles City. As of 9pm, Gov. Pineda said most towns in Pampanga remained without power, hampering rescue efforts.

Earthquake damage

The historic Santa Catalina de Alexandria Parish Church in Porac sustained significant damaged according to the Archdiocesan Committee on Church Heritage-Pampanga. The St Augustine Parish Church in Lubao was also damaged. 

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earthquake
Santa Catalina de Alexandria Parish Church in Porac lost its historic bell tower due to the quake.

The control tower and passenger terminal of Clark International Airport were damaged, prompting the suspension of operations. An initial 24-hour shutdown may be extended. Seven people were injured when part of a ceiling collapsed there.

As of 10.50pm, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) has recorded 18 aftershocks around Angeles City, Olongapo City and Castillejos, Zambales. 

The Mayor of Porac has now declared a state of calamity to enable the local government to use its calamity fund to help affected residents.

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He also appealed for help to rescue the people still trapped inside the collapsed supermarket.

“If you have equipment for rescue operation so that we can clear the debris. We were able to talk to those being trapped. We are asking for help,” he said.

Four fatalities have already been confirmed after the four-storey building containing the supermarket collapsed.

Rescue operations are ongoing. 

Elsewhere, some malls in Makati have closed and two people were injured by falling glass in Manila.

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