MANILA, January 24 ------ A magnitude 5.4 earthquake shook Zamboanga del Norte before noon on Thursday, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said. The epicenter of the tectonic quake — initially measured at magnitude 6.1 — was located 5 kilometers southeast of the coastal town of Siocon.
The tremor struck at 11:41 a.m. at a shallow depth of 43 kilometers, the seismology agency said in an updated advisory. A "strong" Intensity 5 was felt in Siocon as well as in Ipil town in Zamboanga Sibugay and Isabela City. An Intensity 5 quake may be felt throughout a building and hanging objects could swing violently.
Earthquake Intensities 4 and below were also felt in nearby towns and cities, according to Phivolcs.
Intensity 4
- City of Zamboanga
- Sibuco, Zamboanga del Norte
- Dimataling, Zamboanga del Sur
- Alicia, Zamboanga Sibugay
Intensity 3
- City of Dipolog and President Manuel A. Roxas, Zamboanga del Norte
- Buug and Siay, Zamboanga Sibugay
Intensity 2
- San Jose, Antique
- City of Himamaylan, Negros Occidental
- Molave, Zamboanga del Sur
Intensity 1
- City of Kabankalan, Negros Occidental
Instrumental Intensity 4, meanwhile, was recorded in Zamboanga City, Phivolcs said. An instrumental intensity means a quake is detected and recorded by intensity meters installed in an area and may or may not be felt by residents there. While Phivolcs noted that damage to properties was unlikely, it warned that aftershocks could happen following the quake. Thursday's quake in Zamboanga del Norte follows the magnitude 5.8 earthquake that rocked San Francisco town in Southern Leyte earlier in the day.
Speaking on TeleRadyo Serbisyo, Phivolcs Director Teresito Bacolcol said the Zamboanga del Norte and Southern Leyte quakes were unrelated. He explained that because of the many faults in the country, the agency records at least 30 tremors a day, and strong quakes occasionally occur.
Source: news.abs-cbn.com
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