Xi sends condolences over Philippine quake

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday sent a message of condolence to his Philippine counterpart Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos over last week's earthquake disaster.

Xi wrote that he was shocked to learn of the casualties and property losses caused by the earthquake.

On behalf of the Chinese government and people, and in his own name, Xi expressed deep condolences over the deaths, and extended sincere sympathy to the bereaved families and the wounded.

Under the leadership of President Marcos and the Philippine government, people in the earthquake-stricken area will surely overcome the disaster and rebuild their homes, he said.

A powerful 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck the northern island of Luzon on Wednesday, damaging buildings and sending strong tremors throughout the capital, Manila.

The death toll rose to 10 on Friday after another four bodies were found in rubble, authorities said, as aftershocks continued to rock the mountainous region.

At least 64 people were injured and 173 buildings damaged, many in Abra Province, just 11 kilometers from the epicenter of the quake, local officials said.

More than 200 aftershocks have been recorded in the area and 58 landslides were also reported in the aftermath, according to the state seismology agency.

A hospital in Abra Province was evacuated after the building partially collapsed, but there were no casualties reported there.

Abra's vice-governor, Joy Bernos, posted photos of the damaged Abra hospital on Facebook, 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, one in Kalinga and another in Cagayan Valley.

Abra, home to nearly 250,000 people, is a landlocked province in northern Philippines. Its deep valleys and sloping hills are enclosed by rugged mountains.

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 typhoons each year, some triggering deadly landslides.

Eric Singson, a congressman in Ilocos Sur Province, told the radio station DZMM that the quake had been felt strongly there and lasted 30 seconds or more.

"I thought my house would fall," Singson said."Now, we are trying to reach people.... Right now there are aftershocks, so we are outside our home."

The quake damaged heritage sites in the northern city of Vigan, known for its old Spanish colonial architecture, on the west coast of Luzon.

Edison Adducul, a tourist, said he was taking photos of the Bantay Church bell tower in Vigan when the quake struck, shaking the tower for up to three minutes.

Vigan's normally busy streets were deserted on Wednesday evening, and shops, hotels and businesses remained closed. Many of the streets had been cleared of debris.

Senator Imee Marcos said several churches were damaged.

"The antique bricks and coral stones fell down from the Bantay Bell Tower," she said.

Xinhua—Agencies