At least 5 people killed after buildings collapse near Manila in Philippines quake – official

Five people were killed when at least two buildings collapsed near Manila after a powerful earthquake sent skyscrapers swaying, AFP reports. Three bodies have been pulled out of a four-storey building in the town of Porac, while a woman and her grandchild were crushed to death in the town of Lubao, according to Lilia Pineda, governor of Pampanga province. “We believe there are still people trapped in the four-storey building,” Pineda said, adding that 20 people have so far been rescued. A strong quake with a magnitude of 6.3 struck the region at 5:11pm (09:11 GMT), the US Geological Survey said. The quake, that rumbled across the northern Philippines, caused skyscrapers in Manila to sway, as they are designed to do. It also caused serious damage to the capital’s secondary Clark Airport. The quake was centered on the town of Castillejos, about 100km (62 miles) northwest of Manila, local geologists said.