Strong 6.4-magnitude quake rocks northern Philippines

Staff said they evacuated patients from the 200-bed Mariano Marcos Memorial Hospital in Batac city, which sustained some of the worst known damage thus far

A 6.4-magnitude earthquake rocked the northern Philippines late Tuesday, the U.S. Geological Service said, sending panicked residents out into the streets and causing substantial damage to a hospital.

The quake, caused by a movement of the earth’s crust, struck around 10:59 p.m. near the upland town of Dolores.

Staff said they evacuated patients from the 200-bed Mariano Marcos Memorial Hospital in Batac city, about 60 kilometres north of the epicentre, which sustained some of the worst known damage thus far.

Photos of collapsed ceilings in some of the hospital rooms, as well as dozens of patients sat on chairs on the driveway outside were posted on the local fire service‘s official Facebook page.

“The authorities made us leave the building while they checked the building integrity.... We are currently conducting an assessment of the damage,” hospital worker Tom Tabije told AFP by phone.

In Laoag city, near Batac, call centre worker Joffrey Lavarias, 24, filmed screaming co-workers ducking beneath tables inside a high-rise office building as computer monitors on top of the furniture rocked. The lights went out seconds later.

“I thought the earthquake wasn’t strong, that’s why I decided to film it. After 30 seconds, the shaking suddenly became very strong,” he told AFP.