Clark International Airport shut down after quake

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO — All flights in Clark International Airport were canceled following a magnitude 6.1 tremor that jolted parts of Luzon on Monday afternoon.

According to Jim Melo, president of Clark International Airport Corp., the airport will be closed for 24 hours to assess the extent of its damage and ensure that everything would be safe.

Due to the quake, a portion of a mega dike in Pampanga was damaged.

In its initial earthquake bulletin, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said the earthquake struck 2 kilometers northeast of this town at 5.11 p.m.

The earthquake was of tectonic origin, with a depth of 21 km.

READ: Magnitude 6.1 earthquake shakes parts of Luzon

The magnitude 6.1 earthquake that shook parts of Luzon on Monday, April 22, 2019, damaged portions of the Clark International Airport (Contributed photos)

Updated @ 7:36 p.m., April 22, 2019, to add photos

The 57-kilometer long mega dike extends at the boundary of this city and the towns of Bacolor, Porac and Santa Rita. It is considered Pampanga’s last defense against lahar in the event of a volcanic eruption

The Santa Catalina Church in Porac town was “ significantly damaged,” according to a post by the archdiocesan committee on church heritage.

The tremor was also felt in Baguio City, Pampanga, Bataan, Nueva Ecija, and Bulacan.

Also in Pampanga, patients in a private hospital were evacuated and the electricity in San Fernando was cut off as a preemptive measure.

The crucifix on the belfry of St. Augustine Church in Lubao town, said to be Pampanga oldest church built by Augustinians, was slightly damaged.

In Bataan, power outages hit Balanga City, Mariveles, Orani and Morong towns.

The Bataan Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office has coordinated with various government agencies to respond to a fire that hit Bataan Refinery Center in Limay town.

The concrete arch that separates Bataan and Pampanga provinces had a gaping crack and was deformed due to the quake.

People were also seen rushing outside the malls in Pampanga and Olongapo City.

The glass door of a fast-food restaurant at SM Pampanga and a portion of a floor in SM Olongapo were damaged due to the quake.

In Bulacan, villagers were also seen rushing outside their houses.

In Isabela, local officials said the tremor was felt in Santiago City.

Joey Apolinario, Cagayan education program supervisor, said they were having a seminar at a hotel in Zambales when the quake struck, forcing them to take the stairs and run outside of the building. — Reports from Joanna Rose Aglibot, Tonette Orejas, Maria Adelaida Calayag, Greg Refraccion, Carmela Reyes-Estrope, Villamor Visaya Jr., Armand Galang