A Strong Quake 6.6-Magnitude Rocks the Philippines

Manila, MINA – A Strong quake 6.6-Magnitude rocked the Philippines, at least one person was d and 43 injured when earthquake shook the central Philippines, on Tuesday, August 18.

The shallow quake struck southeast of Masbate Island in the Bicol region at 8.03 a.m local time yesterday, the US Geological Survey reported.

“There are a lot of damaged houses,” said Staff Sergeant Antonio Clemente in Cataingan, a town of about 50,000 people on the impoverished island several kilometres west of the epicentre in the Samar Sea.

In nearby Palanas, at least 27 people were injured after being hit by falling objects or when their motorbikes crashed as the ground moved in the town, Chris Adique, a municipal disaster officer, told DZBB radio.

Search and rescue efforts were still under way in the region.

“These natural disasters are a part of our lives and we always recover,” said Harry Roque, spokesperson for President Rodrigo Duterte. The Star reported on Wednesday (August 19).

“People should not worry about getting relief assistance. They will be provided,” he said.

So far, at least 24 aftershocks have been recorded by the Philippine seismology office, with the strongest registering at 3.8 magnitude. (T/RS2/RE1)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)