150 aftershocks after 6.9 magnitude quake

TWENTY-FOUR hours after the magnitude 6.9 earthquake shook Davao Region on Sunday afternoon, December 15, almost 150 earthquakes and aftershocks were felt in the region as of Monday, December 16.

According to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) Earthquake Bulletins posted on the Phivolcs website, a total of 140 earthquakes and aftershocks were recorded, all from the province of Davao del Sur, where the tectonic quake struck about nine kilometers north of Matanao town of the province at a depth of only three kilometers.

Following an hour after the strongest quake hit, another tremor was felt at 3:09 p.m. with magnitude 5.2 in Matanao, Davao del Sur.

Phivolcs chief Renato Solidum said in a GMA News TV interview that the earthquake felt in the region is not directly related to the series of earthquakes in Cotabato in October this year.

Although Solidum said they are still observing if the fault where the epicenter of the earthquake was affected by the series of earthquakes since October this year.

“Sa haba ng fault na ito, isa po ito sa candidate na puwedeng magdulot ng major earthquake na nangyari kahapon na malakas (The length of the fault could be one of the factors as to [the recent] major earthquake that happened on Sunday),” Solidum said in a TV interview.

The official said that the existing fault lines in Davao del Sur are distant from each other.