Almost 3,000 aftershocks recorded in magnitude 7.4 quake in Surigao del Sur

SAFER HERE Residents of Barangay Bitoon in Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur, on Monday set up makeshift shelters in a school ground for fear of staying in their houses, which might give way to strong aftershocks in the wake of Saturday’s magnitude 7.4 earthquake. —ERWIN M. MASCARIÑAS

MANILA, Philippines — Almost 3,000 aftershocks were recorded on Wednesday after a magnitude 7.4 earthquake hit waters off Surigao del Sur’s Hinatuan town over the weekend, state seismologists said.

As of 5:00 a.m., a total of 2,959 aftershocks were logged in the province, with strength ranging from magnitude 1.4 to 6.6, according to Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs).

Out of this number of aftershocks, only 34 were felt.

The earthquake struck near Hinatuan at 10:37 p.m. on Saturday, December 2, triggering small tsunami waves off several provinces in Mindanao and islands of Japan.

Phivolcs initially put the temblor’s magnitude to be at magnitude 6.9 at 10:37 p.m. on December 2, but later upgraded it to magnitude 7.4 on 3:23 a.m. on December 3.

On the other hand, European Mediterranean Seismological Center put the quake’s magnitude at 7.5.

National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council on Tuesday said one person reportedly died and 12 others were wounded from the quake.