Manila: A massive 6.1 magnitude earthquake struck the central Philippines. The US Geological Survey has mentioned the possibility of a tsunami occurring in this order. Meanwhile, the Philippines lies along the Pacific “Ring of Fire”. It is a belt of faults around the Pacific Ocean, making it one of the most earthquake-prone areas in the world.
First Published Feb 16, 2023, 8:37 AM IST
Earthquake in the Philippines: Earthquake shook the Philippines once again. A massive 6.1 magnitude earthquake struck the central Philippines. The US Geological Survey mentions the possibility of a tsunami occurring in this order. Meanwhile, the Philippines lies along the Pacific “Ring of Fire”. It is a belt of faults around the Pacific Ocean, making it one of the most earthquake-prone areas in the world.
In details, the US Geological Survey said that an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.1 occurred in the central Philippines on Thursday morning. The Geological Survey said the earthquake struck just after 2:00 a.m. local time (1800 GMT) off the island province of Masbate, in the center of the archipelago nation. The epicenter was located 11 km from the nearest village. No information about loss of life or property has been received yet. However, taking into consideration the current conditions, there is a possibility of a tsunami due to the earthquake. However, no official orders have been issued regarding tsunami warnings.
Meanwhile, the Philippines lies along the Pacific “Ring of Fire”. It is a belt of faults around the Pacific Ocean, making it one of the most earthquake-prone areas in the world. Along with earthquakes, natural calamities such as heavy rains and floods also occur here. The country experiences about 20 typhoons and tropical storms every year. This makes it one of the most disaster-prone countries in the world. Earlier in the month, a 6.1 magnitude earthquake struck the mountainous region of the southeastern Philippines.
An earthquake occurred in the Philippines on October 25 last year. The American Geological Survey said that the quake occurred nine kilometers away from Pinili, southeast of the Philippines. Officials said that its intensity was recorded as 6.8 on the Richter scale. On the same day, an earthquake struck the northern Philippines late at night. The 6.4-magnitude quake was centered 16.2 kilometers (10 miles) below the surface, 11 kilometers (7 miles) off Dolores, Luzon Island, according to the US Geological Survey. But no serious damage was done.
However, a 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck the northern Philippines in 1990, killing nearly 2,000 people. An 8.0 magnitude earthquake struck Mindanao on August 16, 1976. The earthquake hit 700 kilometers of coastline on the island of Mindanao, bordering the Moro Gulf in the northern Celebes Sea. An estimated 5,000 – 8,000 people died. The main reason for the loss of lives in this event is that the tsunami occurred after the earthquake struck after midnight when most people were sleeping.
