MANILA — A powerful magnitude 7.4 earthquake jolted Surigao del Sur at 10:37 p.m. on Saturday (Dec. 2), Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) director Teresito Bacolcol said, expecting damage to infrastructure.
At least one casualty was reported.
At a press conference on Sunday (Dec. 3), Bacolcol said Phivolcs initially recorded the strength of the quake as magnitude 6.9, but it was upgraded to magnitude 7.4 after gathering more data.
Bacolcol said that the epicenter of the magnitude 7.4 quake was located 30 kilometers north of Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur, tectonic in origin and with a depth of focus of 25 kms.
“The epicenter of the earthquake was in the ocean and the source was the Philippine Trench,” Bacolcol added.
“Last night (Saturday) we also issued a tsunami advisory. It was lifted at 3:23 this (Sunday) morning,” he said.?
A tsunami warning as high as one meter was issued for all coastal communities in Surigao del Sur and Davao Oriental, where immediate evacuation was recommended in the affected areas.
“There were confirmed tsunami occurrences. The highest was 0.64 meters in Mawes Island in Hinatuan; 0.18 meters in Lawigan, Bislig City; 0.05 meters in Port of Dapa, Surigao del Norte; and 0.08 meters in Mati, Davao del Oriental. So, it did not reach the one-meter tsunami range,” he said.
Phivolcs said that the last recorded wave arrival in the Philippines occurred at 2:52 a.m. at Hinatuan-Bislig Bay Station in Mawes Island on Sunday.
In Malacañang, President Marcos assured communities hit by the earthquake that efforts are underway to assist them and to ensure their safety.
“We continue to assist the families affected by the impact and aftermath of the magnitude 7.4 earthquake in Mindanao,” Marcos said in a post on X on Sunday.
“The DSWD (Department of Social Welfare and Development) and DILG (Department of the Interior and Local Government), in collaboration with local government units, are actively coordinating efforts to provide essential aid to those in need.”
The public works department is “diligently” assessing the Caraga region with the support of the Office of Civil Defense and National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, the President said.
Officials of the Police Regional Office-13 (PRO-13) and the Caraga Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office stated in separate reports that the earthquake forced villagers in coastal areas to move to higher ground due to a possible tsunami.
“There is no more risk (of tsunami). Our advisory of the expected tsunami was until close to midnight and, as of now, it is no longer in effect,” Bacolcol added.
PRO-13 director Brig. Gen. Kirby John Kraft said all of their police units in Agusan del Sur had been mobilized to help local government units (LGUs) reach out to affected villagers and respond to any emergency.
Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro, in a press briefing in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City, reported that there was one dead from the earthquake, with four injured.
“As of this time, there are 529 families affected, 2,647 persons. There is one dead, unfortunately – she was a pregnant lady. Four injured,” Teodoro said.
He said other strong quakes were recorded in Mindanao due to the movement of the Philippine Trench.
“The Philippine Trench is very active. There are minor movements every now and then,” Bacolcol elaborated, citing strong quakes caused by the trench recorded in 1921 (magnitude 7.5, with tsunami), 1929 (magnitude 7.2), 1952 (magnitude 7.6) and 1992 (magnitude 7.1), all in the Maguindanao area close to the epicenter of Saturday evening’s earthquake.
Source: OneNews.PH
