A strong 6.9-magnitude earthquake struck the Masbate region of Central Philippines on Tuesday, August 18, 8:03 EST damaging few homes and properties in the area, with at least one reported death. The European Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) warned about the risk of aftershocks but reported no threats of a tsunami from the earthquake.
According to reports, the earthquake struck in the sea at a depth of 30 km (18.64 miles) and was initially determined to be at 12.101 degrees north latitude and 124.087 degrees east longitude. No immediate casualties were reported but locals near the epicenter mentioned that it was one of the strongest quakes felt in the area.
The Philippines, with its population of 107 million lies on the “Ring of Fire,” a belt of volcanoes circling the Pacific Ocean and an earthquake prone area. The latest quake prompted people to rush out of their homes and offices for safety. Cracked walls, fallen bricks and damaged properties were noticed but no serious injuries were accounted. However, emergency workers found a body of a man buried under rubbles of a damaged house on the outskirts of Cataingan.
The death was also confirmed by police and it was mentioned that the man’s wife escaped the destruction unharmed. No other casualties have been noticed so far and all minor injuries were immediately treated. Alongside buildings, roads near the town of Cataingan were cracked and a seaport was also damaged. Several houses were destroyed, heaps of debris was collected alongside the roads due to the damaged homes and rescue efforts are still underway.
Tags: Cataingan, earthquake, Masbate, Philippines
