6.5-magnitude earthquake hits Phillipines' Mindanao
What's the story
A 6.5-magnitude earthquake jolted the southern Philippine island of Mindanao on Friday, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported. The quake struck near Sarangani, Davao Occidental, at a depth of 52.4 kilometers (32.5 miles) at 7:34pm local time (1134GMT), according to USGS. Fortunately, there were no immediate reports of casualties or major damage from this seismic event.
Tsunami alert
Authorities launch damage assessment
In the wake of the earthquake, authorities have launched a damage assessment to evaluate its impact. Notably, no tsunami warning was issued after this seismic event. The Philippines is located on the Pacific Ring of Fire, an area known for its high seismic activity due to tectonic plate movements. This makes the country susceptible to frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
Past tremor
Deadly 7.8-magnitude quake hit Philippines in early June
The latest earthquake comes just weeks after a deadly 7.8-magnitude quake hit the southern Philippines in early June. That tremor killed at least 20 people and injured over 200. It also triggered tsunami warnings across the region, forced large-scale evacuations in coastal areas, and disrupted power and communication services near the epicenter.
Post-quake efforts
GFZ report on June earthquake
Following the June earthquake, rescue and damage assessment operations continued for several days. Authorities worked to verify casualties and assess the extent of destruction caused by the tremor. The German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) reported that this earthquake also occurred near Mindanao at a shallow depth of 10km, which intensified ground shaking and raised concerns over tsunami generation.