MANILA — A strong earthquake struck the northern Philippines on Wednesday morning, a government institute said.
The 7.3 magnitude quake struck at 8:43 a.m. at a depth of 10 kilometers, or six miles, said Renato U. Solidum, the head of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology. It was felt with “relatively moderate intensity” hundreds of miles away in the capital, Manila, he said.
The United States Geological Survey said the earthquake hit in the northwestern part of Luzon, the country’s most populous island. It put the quake’s magnitude at 7.1.
“This is a major quake,” Mr. Solidum said in an interview with a local radio station. “It is possible that we will have damages on houses and buildings. It may have also led to collapse of structures if they were not properly built.”
Mr. Solidum said he expected aftershocks in Abra Province, where the quake occurred, and nearby areas.
There were no immediate official reports of damage.
This is a developing story.
Jason Gutierrez reported from Manila, and Mike Ives from Seoul.
