Philippines Hit With Strong Earthquake
A powerful earthquake hit the central Philippines on Tuesday, a day after a magnitude 6.1 quake struck the country’s northern region, leaving at least 16 people dead. The U.S. Geological Survey put the magnitude of Tuesday’s quake at 6.4, while the local seismology agency said it was 6.5.
The quake was centered near San Julian town in Eastern Samar province and prompted residents to rush out of houses and office workers to seek out safety.
There were no immediate reports of casualties or major damage from the new quake.
As a result, however, classes and office work were suspended in San Julian because of cracks found on roads, small buildings, and a church. Power was also deliberately cut as a precaution in the quake’s aftermath, officials said.
In the meantime, rescuers worked overnight to recover bodies in the rubble of a supermarket that crashed down in Monday’s quake, which damaged other buildings and an airport in the northern Philippines.
More than 400 aftershocks have been recorded, although they mostly went unfelt.
The preliminary estimate from the US Geological Survey reports that 14 million people felt moderate shaking and more than 49 million were exposed to some shakes from the earthquake.
Additionally, Philippine seismologists said the back-to-back quakes in the last two days were unrelated and were caused by different local faults.
By: Maytinee Kramer
