MANILA — Earthquakes travel fast, science has repeatedly proven, and is evident in the TeleRadyo interview of news anchor Noli De Castro on Wednesday.

As seen on the video, Philippine Medical Association head Dr. Maria Minerva Calimag reported experiencing an earthquake at 8:43 a.m. She was in Ilocos Sur, which was over 300 kilometers away from Metro Manila.

Around a minute later, De Castro's backdrop in the TeleRadyo studio in Quezon City appeared to shake on-cam and it took a while for the anchor to realize there was a tremor.

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"Akala ko nahihilo lang ako," De Castro said during the newscast.

(I thought I was just dizzy.)

According to the US' Penn State Department of Geosciences, "seismic waves travel fast, on the order of kilometers per second."

"The precise speed that a seismic wave travels depends on several factors, most important is the composition of the rock," it added.

Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) Director Renato Solidum said Wednesday's magnitude 7 earthquake was considered "major."

Heavily affected areas like Abra and Ilocos Sur provinces recorded high intensities of 7 and 6, respectively, he added.

At least 4 people died, said Interior Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. Of these, 2 were killed in Benguet, one in Abra, and another one in Mountain Province.

Some 218 towns in 15 provinces were affected by the earthquake, Abalos added. These provinces were in Regions 1, 2, and the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), Abalos said.

President Ferdinand Marcos will inspect the area by Thursday, so he would not impede local government's operations.

What to do after an earthquake:

Here's what to do after an #earthquake. Stay safe, Kapamilya!#lindol pic.twitter.com/vrJ66mchTf

— ABS-CBN News (@ABSCBNNews) October 16, 2019