140 aftershocks recorded after 5.6 main tremor in Makilala, Cotabato

KIDAPAWAN CITY –– At least 140 aftershocks were recorded by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) here following the magnitude 5.6 earthquake that struck off the town of Makilala in North Cotabato on Tuesday evening, a local volcanologist said.

Engineer Hermes Daquipa, Philvolcs field observation officer-in-charge in Kidapawan City, said these aftershocks could not be felt directly but were recorded in their seismograph since Tuesday night until Wednesday morning.

Daquipa also said that 12 of these aftershocks were felt in Kidapawan.

“These are shakes that are felt by humans,” Daquipa explained.

As of 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, the Earthquake Bulletin on the Phivolcs website listed 26 aftershocks to the main tremor, the latest of which was at 11:31 a.m. Wednesday, July 10.

The strongest aftershock was magnitude 4.9 at 8:56 a.m. Wednesday, July 10, pushing Kidapawan City Mayor Joseph A. Evangelista to suspend work at the city hall.

Evangelista said the work suspension could pave the way for the engineering department to check the cracks particularly along the hallway of the second floor.

“We want to know if the building is safe and our employees are safe in their respective office once work resumes,” Evangelista explained.

Earlier, classes at all levels in the city were canceled to give way to the inspection of school buildings.