Magnitude 5 quake shakes Eastern Samar

TACLOBAN CITY –– A magnitude 5.0 earthquake shook Eastern Samar at 9:07 a.m. on Wednesday, April 15.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) traced the tremor’s epicenter in Basey town, Samar.

The tremor did not cause any damage, said Police Major Zaldy Cagampang, chief of the Basey Police Station.

“I immediately asked some of our police officers to check the town’s buildings, especially our commercial areas. Thank God, there were no damage or injuries reported,” he said in a phone interview.

The tremor, which was of tectonic in origin, was also felt in Palo, Leyte at Intensity 4 and Borongan City in Eastern Samar at Intensity 3.

Mercy Caboboy, municipal information officer, said they did not feel the tremor while they were entertaining their clients at the municipal building.

“We did not notice it here. Perhaps, our building is that strong,” Cabobo said.

LZB