Quake halts Metro trains

MANILA, Philippines — Operations of the Light Rail Transit (LRT) Lines 1 and 2 as well as the Metro Rail Transit (MRT-3) were suspended due to a magnitude 5.9 earthquake yesterday afternoon.

The temblor struck Occidental Mindoro and jolted parts of Metro Manila.

The LRT-2 management said they suspended train services for passengers’ safety and inspection of the railway.

The LRT-2 resumed operations at 5:07 p.m. No structural damage was reported.

The LRT-1 stopped operations at around 4:25 p.m. as part of safety procedures. Train services resumed at 5:21 p.m.

The MRT-3 also halted train operations due to the temblor.

The engineering and operations teams of the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) checked the Ninoy Aquino International Airport’s terminal facilities following the earthquake.

MIAA officer-in-charge Bryan Co said no damage was reported on the airport’s runway and terminals.

At the Senate, the earthquake cut short the meeting of Sen. Francis Tolentino with Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo and Philippine Ambassador to China Jaime FlorCruz.

Tolentino said they were supposed to talk about the swarming of Chinese vessels around Julian Felipe Reef in Palawan.

Philippine National Police officers and non-uniformed personnel evacuated their offices at Camp Crame following the earthquake. — Emmanuel Tupas