6.4 earthquake struck the Philippines

The US Geological Survey said a new 6.4-magnitude earthquake happened on April 23 in Tutubigan, Philippines.

The new earthquake epicenter was hundreds of kilometers south of the earthquake site a day earlier in Manila.

Philippine rescuers on April 23 attempt to find dozens of victims believed to be trapped under a collapsed Manila building the day before during a 6.3-magnitude earthquake that killed 11 people.

Rescuers are working hard to free dozens of victims buried in rubble. Eleven confirmed people were killed, according to the AP. In Manila and elsewhere, dozens of people were injured because of collapsed buildings.

After the earthquake, more than 400 aftershocks continued to attack the area with a strong intensity of 3.4 degrees, according to Philippine seismologists.

The earthquake severely destroyed an airport and frightened locals to flee high-rise buildings. The most heavily affected area is Pampanga province, where most of the victims died, according to local officials.

Rescue forces seek victims of earthquake in the rubble in Pampanga province, Philippines.(Photo: AP).

The number of deaths may increase as rescuers review and assess damage at isolated locations, power outages and lost contacts.

Rescuers must use cranes and jackhammers to remove the rubble of a four-story building in Porac town, with nearly 30 people trapped inside."The rescue team still hears the cry of at least one person alive and stuck under the concrete slab," Governor Pampanga Lilia Pineda told reporters.

The earthquake also damaged many of the country's hundred-year-old churches, where numerous Filipino Catholics attended Easter celebrations in recent days.

Father Roland Moraleja in Porac town said the church of Saint Catherine of Alexandria built in the 18th century collapsed after the earthquake."It was the only part of the building that was preserved from the old church. The historic building is no longer available, but we hope to be able to rebuild it," he told AFP.

When the earthquake struck, tall buildings in Manila capital shook violently, leaving many cracks on the walls. Thousands of tourists were trapped after Clark airport, about an hour's drive north of Manila, was closed.

By April 23, the airport has not yet returned because the functional forces are still assessing the heavy damage in the waiting area and the air traffic control tower.

Dani Justo, the martial arts coach, told AFP she was at home, the area south of Manila, when the earthquake struck.

"Clothes hanging on our clothesline shook violently. My Shih tzu (dog) fell to the ground," she added.

The Philippines, which is located on the Pacific "Ring of Fire" , is a still active seismic arc that extends from Japan through Southeast Asia and the Pacific basin.

In 2013, the earthquake struck Cebu and Bohol provinces in Central Philippines, killing more than 200 people.