Earthquake in Philippines leaves evacuees recovering in aftermath of powerful quake

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Evacuees at a northern Philippine town on Thursday hoped for a reprieve after a powerful earthquake damaged their homes and killed at least five people.

The 7.1-magnitude quake struck the island of Luzon on Wednesday morning, damaging buildings which included historical sites and injuring more than 130 people.

Residents in Banguid town in Abra province, which was just 11 km from the epicentre, camped outside their homes while some took refuge at tents provided by the local government in fear of strong aftershocks. Seismologists have recorded nearly 800 aftershocks since the main quake.

"I hope the tremors would completely stop tomorrow. That's my prayer, so we can return to our boarding home," one local resident affected by the disaster, Nestor Tuzon, said.

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 a year, some triggering deadly landslides.