LOOK: Damage to heritage structures and buildings in northern Philippines following magnitude 7 earthquake
Houses and heritage structures in Abra province, Vigan and other parts of the nothern Philippines sustained heavy damage following a magnitude 7.0 earthquake that hit the town and other parts of Luzon in the Philippines Wednesday morning.
The earthquake killed at least three people and shook high-rise towers more than 300 kilometers away in the capital Manila.
@philstarlife A 7.3 magnitude earthquake has jolted Abra and several parts of Luzon on July 27. #PhilStarLife #newsph #tiktoknewsph ♬ original sound - philstarlife
Pictures shared by the office of Abra Rep. Ching Bernos showed the extent of the damage in the capital city of Bangued.
Netizens likewise shared photos of the aftermath of the quake in their respective areas.
Social media posts and news reports revealed that the earthquake hit heritage houses and churches in the Historic Town of Vigan, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
The earthquake's epicenter occured near the heritage city in Ilocos Sur, and affected some of the business establishments and heritage houses along Calle Crisologo as well as other tourist landmarks.
The strong earthquake also caused damage to the Vigan Cathedral and toppled a section of the Bantay Bell Tower in Ilocos, as shared by netizens on social media.
A portion of the belfry of the San Lorenzo Ruiz Shrine in Bangued, Abra toppled following the quake.
Extensive damage to property was also seen in Central Buyagan in La Trinidad, Benguet as the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) conducted clearing and rescue operations.
Photos by the Mountain Province DRRM Office showed roads affected by landslides that are currently not passable to motorists.
The Philippine Red Cross has directed all Chapters to stand-by and perform an assessment within their areas of responsibility following the big earthquake. Chairman Gordon also urged affected LGUs and the DPWH to assess damages and the safety of buildings and structures to ensure everyone's safety.