Philippines: Leyte gets hit with six earthquakes in a few hours, Dengue outbreak declared in Ormoc
The Visayan province of Leyte, which took the brunt of Typhoon Yolanda two months ago, was hit Sunday with six minor to light earthquakes in a span of less than five hours, according to a Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) Earthquake Bulletin Jan. 26.
Image/Phivolcs
The quakes ranged from a 2.4 magnitude tremor near Jaro to a 4.1 magnitude on the Richter scale quake near Capoocan.
Phivolcs is not expecting any damage or aftershocks from the successive earthquakes.
According to the Richter scale, a 4.1 magnitude earthquake is considered light, meaning you may see noticeable shaking of indoor objects and rattling noises. Felt by most people in the affected area. Slightly felt outside. Generally causes none to minimal damage. Moderate to significant damage very unlikely. Some objects may fall off shelves or be knocked over.
The Philippines lies within the Pacific Ring of Fire, which causes the country to have frequent seismic and volcanic activity. Much larger numbers of earthquakes of smaller magnitude occur very regularly due to the meeting of major tectonic plates in the region.
In addition, an outbreak of dengue fever has been declared in the western Leyte city of Ormoc, according to a GMA News report late last week.
The outbreak declaration comes after 84 cases were reported in the city during the past month. Rains and water pooling in debris left behind from Typhoon Yolanda have attributed to the surge in dengue cases.
City residents are being advised to remove possible breeding sites for mosquitoes, the vector for dengue and several other infectious diseases.
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