Fatal 7.1 earthquake strikes Philippines Transcript

Speaker 1: (00:00) A powerful earthquake has struck the Philippines, killing several people. The 7.1 magnitude quake struck the island of Luzon on Wednesday, damaging buildings and sending strong tremors through the capital, Manila. Scores of people are believed to have been injured according to the country's interior minister, Benjamin Abalos. Speaker 2: (00:20) Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr. Speaker 1: (00:20) Speaking at a news conference, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr assured people rescue and relief efforts would continue Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr: (00:27) By the end of the day, the majority of these roads that I have mentioned as being not passible should already be available for use. I don't think it's necessary right now to declare a national emergency. Speaker 1: (00:41) The Philippine State Seismology Agency has warned stronger aftershocks are expected to continue. In Abra, the worst affected province, 58 landslides and 173 damaged buildings have been reported according to government figures. In Manila, several buildings were evacuated and the city's metro rail systems were halted at rush hour. The Philippines is prone to natural disasters and is located on the seismic active Pacific Ring of Fire, a band of volcanoes and fault lines that arcs around the edge of the Pacific Ocean.