Moderate 5.7-magnitude earthquake strikes Davao Oriental, Philippines
A 5.7 magnitude earthquake hit the Davao Oriental area of the southern island of Mindanao Wednesday morning, according to a Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHILVOCS) alert.
According to the scientists at Phivolcs, the tremor occurred at 7:58 a.m. Wednesday morning with its epicenter about57 kilometers southeast of Mati in Davao Oriental.
The quake, which was tectonic in origin, was felt at Intensity 5 in Davao City and Mati, Davao Oriental.
Phivolcs said there was no damage reported but aftershocks are expected.
According to the Richter magnitude scale, an earthquake that registers at 5.0-5.9 is considered moderate. It can cause moderate to major damage to poorly constructed buildings. At most, none to slight damage to well-designed buildings. Can be felt far from the epicenter at lower intensities and across wider areas. Deaths can depend on the effects.
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.
Image/Phivolcs
