MANILA, Philippines - The 7.2 magnitude earthquake that struck Central Visayas could have been caused by a new fault system not mapped by state seismologists , the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said on Friday.
Dr. Ismael Narag of the Phivolcs said the powerful temblor that rocked the provinces of Bohol and Cebu could be triggered by the new fault system.
In a briefing at the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council at Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City, Narag said Phivolcs teams have been deployed to Bohol to study this theory.
"Yung original na epicenter ay na trace na sa Sagbayan from Carmen (Bohol)," Narag said.
The Phivolcs previously reported that the epicenter of the major quake was located two kilometers east of Carmen town.
It also said that the quake was caused by the movement of the East Bohol fault.
However, Narag said that Phivolcs is now keen on looking at the theory of a new fault system as the aftershocks were traced near the northern part of Bohol.
"It does not cluster near the East Bohol Fault... but [we are looking at the possibility] that these events are related to a new fault system," he said, noting that the fault system could not have been mapped in the past due to weathering.
He said the Phivolcs team that flew to Bohol will gather more evidence that the quake was triggered by this new fault system.