USGS: Early Thursday morning, a 6.1-magnitude earthquake struck the central Philippines, according to the US Geological Survey. The local seismological agency warned of possible damage and aftershocks.
The central Philippines was shaken early on Thursday by an earthquake measuring 6.1 magnitude, according to the US Geological Survey. The local seismological agency issued a warning about possible damage and aftershocks.
People were jolted awake when the powerful, shallow quake struck off Masbate province in the middle of the archipelago nation shortly after 2:00 a.m. local time (1800 GMT).
According to the USGS, the epicenter was 11 kilometers (seven miles) away from Miaga, the nearest village in the Uson municipality on Masbate, the province’s main island.
Although there were no immediate reports of damage or casualties, shallow earthquakes typically cause more damage than deeper ones.
There was no tsunami warning issued.
Rolly Albana, chief of the Masbate provincial police, stated to AFP, “It was a little strong.”
“When we were shaken and woken up, I was sleeping.”
Police, according to Albana, had not reported any effects of the earthquake.
Captain Reden Tolledo, the chief of police for Uson, stated that some residents had left their homes.
Tolledo stated, “Even I went outside because of possible aftershocks.”
A disaster officer in the Dimasalang municipality named Gregorio Adigue claimed that nearly an hour after the earthquake, he felt a powerful aftershock.
He stated, however, that the area’s buildings and other structures did not appear to have been damaged.
Adigue stated, “We will later go around schools in each village to inspect their buildings.”
Due to “continuous aftershocks being felt” in the province, the Masbate education department reportedly suspended classes for Thursday.
The Philippines, which is located along the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” a region of intense seismic and volcanic activity that spans Japan, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific basin, experiences daily earthquakes.
The majority are too weak to be felt by humans, but powerful and destructive ones appear at random and cannot be predicted using technology.
Along active fault lines, the nation’s civil defense office regularly holds earthquake simulation drills.
In October, a major earthquake struck the northern Philippines.
Dolores, a mountain town in Abra province, was struck by a 6.4-magnitude earthquake that damaged buildings, killed a number of people, and cut off power to most of the area.
In the mountainous region of Abra in July, a 7.0-magnitude earthquake caused landslides and ground fissures, which resulted in the deaths of 11 people and the injuries of several hundred.
