Philippines: Earthquake of 6.1 magnitude strikes Mindanao
A powerful magnitude 6.1 earthquake jolted the Mindanao region of Philippines, on Friday, 17 October.
Mindanao: A powerful magnitude 6.1 earthquake jolted the Mindanao region of Philippines, on Friday, 17 October. The earthquake alert was issued by the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ).
A week ago, the country was struck by two powerful offshore quakes that triggered landslides and a brief tsunami warning was also issued after the earthquake. The twin tremors rank among the most powerful to strike the Philippines in recent years.
The first earthquake, measuring 7.4 triggered landslides, which resulted in the loss of at least seven lives. Evacuations of nearby coastal areas amid a brief tsunami warning. However, tsunami warnings for both the Philippines and Indonesia were later withdrawn.
The second earthquake, with a preliminary magnitude of 6.8, also led to a local tsunami alert. Both tremors were caused by movement along the same fault line, the Philippine Trench, at a depth of 37 kilometres (23 miles) off Manay town in Davao Oriental province, according to Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology chief Teresito Bacolcol. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) warned that waves could rise more than one metre (3.2 feet) above normal sea levels.
Residents living in coastal areas in the southern Philippines were “strongly advised to immediately evacuate” to higher ground or relocate further inland, according to an official advisory.
Located along the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” the country regularly experiences more than 800 earthquakes annually.
Previously, Philippines was struck with a deadly 6.9 earthquake that claimed 74 lives on the central island of Cebu.
