Series of quakes hit Batangas anew; intensity II felt in Tagaytay

MANILA, Philippines – A series of shallow earthquakes hit the towns of Agoncillo and Laurel in Batangas on Wednesday morning, the Philippine Institute for Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said.

Phivolcs said in its monitoring website that the strongest of the recent quakes was a Magnitude 3.6 tremor in Agoncillo at 1:32 a.m., at a depth of 10 kilometers.  Instrumental Intensity II was felt in Tagaytay City, and was still caused by the Taal Volcano’s activities.

Another quake, this time a Magnitude 2.6, was recorded seven kilometers southeast of Laurel 11 minutes after.  Instrumental Intensity II was also experienced in Tagaytay.

Since the Magnitude 3.6 temblor in Agoncillo, four other minor earthquakes were also recorded.  No tsunami warnings have been raised as of now.

Hundreds of earthquakes have been recorded in Batangas and Cavite towns surrounding Taal Volcano, after it erupted last Sunday afternoon.  Alert Level 4 has been raised by Phivolcs, which means that residents within the 17-kilometer danger zone should be evacuated.

READ: More than 40 quakes hound areas reeling from Taal Volcano’s eruption 

READ: Shun ‘false sense of security’; Taal Volcano isn’t really easing up – Phivolcs