Saudi Gazette report

MANILA — Saudi Arabia's embassy in the Philippines has warned the citizens who are in Manila from earthquake aftershocks.

The warning from the Kingdom's embassy came after a strong 7.0-magnitude earthquake occurred in the northern Philippines on Wednesday.

The embassy called on citizens in the capital, Manila, to be careful and to take precautions against aftershocks caused by the earthquake, and also asked everyone to follow up on what is issued by the competent authorities in the Philippines.

In case of emergency, the embassy appealed to citizens to contact the embassy on the following numbers: Embassy phone: 006328856444; Saudis’ Emergency Phone: 00639188073636 — 00639178946464; Embassy's email: PHEMB@MOFA.GOV.SA; or to check the numbers published by the embassy in its official account on Twitter platform: @KSAembassyPH

The quake struck in northern Luzon, the country's most populous island, at 8:43 a.m. local time (8:43 p.m. ET), according to the US Geological Survey (USGS). The agency originally designated the quake 7.1-magnitude, before downgrading it to 7.0.

The earthquake's impact was felt in the capital city, Manila, more than 400 kilometers (about 250 miles) away, where workers and residents evacuated from buildings and gathered on the street.

The quake also triggered landslides, with photos showing large boulders and rocks tumbling onto a road in the town of Bauko, south of the epicenter. Other photos show people working to clear the debris.

The interior minister has stated that, at least four people have died and 60 others were injured due to the powerful earthquake that struck the northern Philippines.