At least one person died on Wednesday after an earthquake of magnitude 7.0 on the Richter scale that shook several towns in the northern Philippines, including Manila, the capital–, also causing landslides and damage to buildings.

According to data collected by the Euro-Mediterranean Seismological Center (SCEM), the epicenter of the earthquake has been located 335 kilometers north of Manila and 10 kilometers deep, it occurred at 08.43 hours (local time). It has affected cities such as San Ramon or Lagangilang, both in the mountainous province of Abra.

A construction worker has been trapped under the fallen rubble in La Trinidad, Benguet, and has died in Abra, as reported by ‘Philstar’.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., known as ‘Bongbong’, has ordered the mobilization of rescue and aid teams from the Department of Social Welfare and Development to the affected areas.

National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) spokesman Mark Timbal said: “I urge everyone to remain alert and prioritise safety in the face of the potential for aftershocks that may be felt after that strong earthquake.”

In Metro Manila, rail lines LRT-1, LRT-2 and MRT-3 have temporarily suspended operations to check for damage and maintenance.

On the other hand, Senator Imee Marcos said in a press conference that the bell towers of Bantay and Laoag had been damaged, and that the center of the city of Laoag was possibly going to be cordoned off, since the debris kept falling from the bell tower.

The Philippines is located in the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” where about 90 percent of the world’s earthquakes occur.

The last major earthquake to strike the country was 7.1 magnitude and killed more than 220 people in the central Philippines in October 2013.