A magnitude 7.1 earthquake hit Davao Occidental Thursday night, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS).
The earthquake, which occurred at 8:23 p.m., was tectonic in origin and was traced 231 kilometers southeast of Jose Abad Santos, Davao Occidental.
The quake had a depth of 116 kilometers.
Intensity V was felt in the City of General Santos, Intensity IV in Davao City, and
Intensity II in the City of Bislig, Surigao del Sur.
PHIVOLCS recorded the following instrumental intensities:
Intensity V - Kiamba, Sarangani
Intensity IV - City of General Santos; Alabel, Sarangani; Koronadal City, South Cotabato
Intensity III - City of Kidapawan City of Bislig, Surigao del Sur; City of Gingoog, Misamis Oriental
Intensity II - City of Cagayan de Oro; City of Surigao, Surigao del Norte; City of Borongan, Eastern Samar
Intensity I - City of Catbalogan, Samar
There were no immediate details on damages but aftershocks are expected from the tremor.
Meanwhile, Jose Abad Santos town Mayor Jason John Joyce said not a single damage was reported yet in his town.
“I am sending this message to everyone who was asking about the earthquake. We are okay. No damages reported as of yet. will update,” Joyce said in a statement on Thursday evening.
The Phivolcs said there was no tsunami threat in Mindanao after the 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck Davao Occidental on January 21, the state seismologist reported.
In an advisory, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said that there was no “destructive tsunami threat” based on available data following the tremor.
It was also reported that a magnitude 3.4 aftershock was also felt in Jose Abad Santos town in Davao Occidental, 46 minutes after the huge tremor was felt by local residents.
Phivolcs reported that the aftershock was also tectonic in origin and was traced 6 kilometers in depth from Jose Abad Santos town.
As this developed, the Davao City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Committee (CDRRMC) has advised all barangay disaster personnel and volunteers to proceed to their landslide prone areas to check for any damages in their areas of responsibility. (With reports by Ivy Tejano and Nonoy E. Lacson)