Philippines: 7-Magnitude Earthquake Kills At Least 5

Published JUL 27 2022

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Image credit: AP [via Daily Mail]

The Facts

On Wed., a 7-magnitude earthquake shook the northern Philippines island of Luzon, killing at least five people in four different provinces and injuring dozens more.
RAPPLER
The US Geological Survey (USGS) identified the epicenter of the earthquake as 11km (6 miles) east-southeast of the town of Dolores and occurred at a depth of 10km (6 miles). Witnesses said the violent shaking lasted 30 sec. or more. [The USGS also downgraded the magnitude to 7.0]
Raw Story
The recently-elected Pres. of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who has been in office for less than one month, plans to visit the hard-hit Abra province as soon as it's considered safe.
Daily Mail
Interior Sec. Benjamin Abalos stated that more than 170 buildings were damaged and 58 landslides were reported across the country.
Al Jazeera
Tremors were strongly felt also in the capital city of Manila – 200mi away from the epicenter –, where even hospitals evacuated patients and medical personnel and the metro rail systems were stopped at rush hour.
NBC
The Philippines is located along the Pacific "Ring of Fire," an arc of seismic activity that extends throughout the region.
France 24

Sources Split

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The Spin

Establishment-critical narrative

Though multiple destructive earthquakes and seismic events remain in the minds of the Filipinos, the country sadly still has a way to go. Important changes to building codes were never fully implemented, which is painfully apparent during these destructive events.

RAPPLER

Pro-establishment narrative

Pres. Marcos Jr. is ready and prepared to lead the people of the Philippines through this disaster. Just hours after a massive earthquake he has already proposed a Disaster Resilience Bill, building on a long and successful tradition of disaster management in the country. Marcos Jr. recognizes that the Philippines is not immune to these incidents and is committed to furthering disaster initiatives.