Magnitude 5.8 aftershock jolts Batanes

MANILA, Philippines — A magnitude 5.8 aftershock struck Itbayat town in Batanes on Saturday morning following the stronger magnitude 5.9 quake that earlier hit the town.

According to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) the aftershock was reported at 9:24 a.m. with its epicenter located 14 kilometers southeast of Basco, Batanes.

Phivolcs said the quake was of tectonic origin and had a depth of one kilometer.

Intensity IV was reported in Basco, Batanes.

Phivolcs confirmed that the quake was an aftershock of the magnitude 5.9 quake that hit the town of Itbayat at 7:37 a.m. Prior to the magnitude 5.9 quake, Itbayat was struck by a magnitude 5.4 quake at 4:16 a.m.

In an earlier update, Phivolcs said the aftershock was at magnitude 5.4 and with its epicenter located 72 kilometers northeast of Itbayat, Batanes before updating the information and changing the magnitude to 5.8 and the epicenter being at Basco, Batanes.

As of posting, Itbayat Vice Mayor Ronald Gutierrez said the casualties from the quake have risen to eight. /muf

RELATED STORIES:

UPDATE: 5.9 magnitude quake jolts Batanes

Magnitude 5.4 quake rocks Itbayat, Batanes

4 dead, 19 hurt in Batanes quake