Quake jolts Mindanao

Renato Solidum

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY—A strong earthquake struck parts of Lanao del Sur and Bukidnon provinces on Wednesday morning, damaging at least two mosques, 30 houses and a town hall, local officials said.

Except for Jorie Sagon, a resident of Wao town in Lanao del Sur, who was hurt when a hollow block fell on her foot, no casualty was reported in the magnitude-6 earthquake that struck at 5:21 a.m. Wednesday.

The earthquake originating 14 kilometers northwest of Wao was followed by 63 aftershocks as of 1 p.m. Wednesday, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs).

The magnitude of the aftershocks ranged from 2.1 to 4.4, according to Phivolcs analyst Tony Madrio. Only a magnitude-4 aftershock, however, was felt on Wednesday noon.

Phivolcs Director Renato Solidum said the earthquake was triggered by a “strike slip” fault or a vertical fault line that moved horizontally.

Solidum clarified that the Lanao del Sur quake was not related to Monday’s 5.7-magnitude tremor that rocked Governor Generoso town in Davao Oriental province, which is also in mainland Mindanao.

The tremor struck parts of Mindanao after a series of earthquakes hit Batangas province on Luzon island last week (See related story on this page). The strongest of these quakes hit on April 4 and 8, damaging structures mainly in the tourist town of Mabini.

Jennie Tamano, Lanao del Sur information officer, said Wednesday’s quake cut electricity in the province but supply was restored immediately.

Francis Garcia, chief of the Wao municipal disaster risk reduction and management office, said the damaged houses were reported in the villages of West Kili-kili, Extension Poblacion, Serran, Panang and Balatin.

The quake also damaged two mosques in Panang village and caused cracks to appear on the walls of some buildings at the Kili-kili National High School and along sections of the national highway.

Patients were evacuated outside a district hospital as a precaution, Garcia said.

He said people, except for families living in four severely damaged houses, went back to their homes after the earthquake. Those displaced sought shelter with relatives.

Reports said the Kalilangan local government building in Bukidnon was also damaged.

Wednesday’s quake was felt at Intensity IV in the cities of Cagayan de Oro, Cotabato, Gingoog and Davao; in the province of Misamis Oriental; and in Matalam town, North Cotabato province; and at Intensity III in Kabacan town, North Cotabato; in the towns of Maramag, Quezon, Don Carlos towns in Bukidnon; and in Lebak town, Sultan Kudarat province.

It was felt at Intensity II in the cities of Kidapawan and Koronadal, and at Intensity I in Camiguin province. —WITH A REPORT FROM AFP