The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) has confirmed that the magnitude 5.8 earthquake that shook Bogo City, Cebu early Monday was an aftershock of the strong tremor that struck the province last September 30.
“It’s an aftershock of the magnitude 6.9 event na nangyari noong September 30,” PHIVOLCS Director Dr. Teresito Bacolcol said in an interview with Unang Hirit.
Bacolcol explained that aftershocks are typically weaker than the main quake, and this latest one still falls within the expected range. “Ang in-expect kasi natin na aftershock from the magnitude 6.9 event is maximum would be around 5.9. So, ito 5.8. So this is not surprising,” he added.
According to PHIVOLCS, the earthquake struck at 1:06 a.m. on Monday, initially recorded as magnitude 6.0 before being revised to 5.8. It had a shallow depth of five kilometers.
The tremor registered Intensity V—the strongest felt intensity—in several areas including Bogo City, Daanbantayan, Medellin, San Remigio, Tabogon, and Tabuelan in Cebu; Villaba in Leyte; and Escalante City in Negros Occidental.
PHIVOLCS noted that the number of recorded aftershocks linked to the September 30 earthquake has now exceeded 10,000.
Meanwhile, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) reported that 75 people have died as a result of the earlier magnitude 6.9 quake that devastated parts of Cebu.
