Earth in the Philippines continues to rumble: more than 1,600 aftershocks Dozens feared dead after landslide in Tanzania

The earth in the southern Philippines is not calming down: more than 1,600 aftershocks have been recorded since Saturday’s massive quakes, according to the local earthquake monitoring station Philvolcs. On Monday evening (local time), another major earthquake with a magnitude of 6.8 occurred in the same province. The population should expect more tremors in the coming weeks, but the intensity will decrease over time, Phivolcs director Teresito Bacolcol said on Philippine television.

Saturday’s earthquake off the coast of Surigao Del Sur province in eastern Mindanao island occurred at a shallow depth. The American earthquake monitoring station had estimated the earthquake at a magnitude of 7.6, the Philippine authorities at a magnitude of 7.4. An initial tsunami warning was later withdrawn.

A pregnant woman died in the rubble of a house. At least four other people were injured. Hundreds of houses and two bridges were damaged, some seriously. “Those affected should remain in evacuation centers and consult with civil engineers whether it is safe to return to their homes,” Bacolcol explained. “If there are visible cracks or damage, the houses could collapse in a strong aftershock.”

The Southeast Asian island nation is located in the Pacific Ring of Fire, the most geologically active zone on Earth. Volcanic eruptions and earthquakes are not uncommon. In 1990, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake caused severe destruction on the island of Luzon. More than 2,400 people died then. (sda/dpa)