UAE leaders condole president of Philippines

ABU DHABI: President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan has sent a cable of condolences to President Ferdinand Marcos of the Philippines over the victims of the earthquake that struck north Manila, which killed and injured scores of people.

President Sheikh Mohamed wished a speedy recovery to the injured.

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum,vicepresident,primeministerandrulerof Dubai, also sent a similar cable to President Marcos.

Earlier during the day, a powerful 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck the northern Philippine island of Luzon killing at least five people, damaging buildings and sending strong tremors through the capital, Manila.

At least 64 people were injured and 173 buildings damaged, officials said, many in Abra province, just 11km from the epicentre of the quake. Over 200 atershocks have been recorded in the area, according to the state seismology agency, and 58 landslides were also reported in the atermath.

“Despite the sad reports about the damage caused by the earthquake, we are assuring quick response to those in need and affected by this calamity,” President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said on Facebook.

The quake hit close to the Marcos family’s political stronghold.

A hospital in Abra province was evacuated ater the building partially collapsed but there were no casualties reported there, officials said.

Abra’s vice governor, Joy Bernos, posted photos of the damaged Abra hospital on her Facebook account, which showed a gaping hole in its facade.

Other photos showed hospital beds, including one with a patient, being wheeled across a road and evacuated hospital staff.

Two people were killed in Benguet province, one in Abra province, one Kalinga and another in Cagayan Valley.

The Philippines is prone to natural disasters and is located on the seismically active Pacific “Ring of Fire”, a band of volcanoes and fault lines that arcs round the edge of the Pacific Ocean. Earthquakes are frequent and there are an average of 20 typhoonseachyear,sometriggeringdeadlylandslides.