INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — At least 345 aftershocks were recorded after the magnitude 6.0 earthquake that rocked Davao de Oro on Wednesday night, according to state seismologists.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said that the magnitude range of the aftershocks as of 8 a.m. on Thursday was from 1.5 to 3.6.
Only one of the recorded aftershocks was felt, it added.
Phivolcs officer-in-charge Dr. Teresito Bacolcol, in a televised public briefing, said aftershocks are still expected for some days or weeks following the tremor.
“We expect small to moderate aftershocks to occur near the epicenter area, which may continue for several days to weeks but eventually, the number of aftershocks will wane),” he said, speaking in a mix of Filipino and English.
Bacolcol then allayed fears of a possible tsunami following the major earthquake.
“There are no threats of a tsunami since the earthquake yesterday hit inland,” he explained.
Meanwhile, Raffy Alejandro, spokesperson for the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, said there are ongoing operations to assess the damage caused by the tremor.
He, however, noted that two minor injuries in the town of New Bataan have so far been reported to authorities.
“There’s no official report yet on the exact number so far. There were only minor injuries reported to us, which were immediately addressed by their local government and health professionals,” Alejandro added.
The tectonic temblor struck the province at about 6:44 p.m. on Wednesday with its epicenter located 9 kilometers southeast of the town of Compostela.
READ: Magnitude 6 earthquake rocks New Bataan town in Davao de Oro
State seismologists had warned the public of possible damage and aftershocks following the quake.