Natural disaster
Earth in the Philippines never rests
The Philippines lies on the Pacific Ring of Fire. An earthquake at the weekend caused horror – and the tremors continue.
The death toll rose to three, and more than a dozen people were injured, according to authorities. According to civil protection, around 100,000 people were on the run. “Those affected should remain in evacuation centers and consult with civil engineers whether it is already safe to return to their homes,” Bacolcol explained. “If there are visible cracks or damage, the houses could collapse in a strong aftershock.”
The quake on Saturday off the coast of Surigao Del Sur province in the east of the island of Mindanao occurred at a shallow depth. The US earthquake monitoring station had estimated the quake at magnitude 7.6, the Philippine authorities at 7.4. An initial tsunami warning was later lifted.
The Southeast Asian island nation lies on the Pacific Ring of Fire, the most geologically active zone on earth. Volcanic eruptions and earthquakes are not uncommon. In 1990, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake caused severe devastation on the island of Luzon. More than 2,400 people died at that time.