Aftershocks felt after Monday’s earthquake

CEBU, Philippines - Tremors were felt yesterday, a day after a magnitude 4.9 earthquake was traced near Buenavista, Bohol, which was caused by the newly-discovered Northern Bohol Fault that devastated the island province in 2013.

Yesterday, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology recorded a magnitude 3.2 tremor at 7:54 a.m. with a depth of five kilometers, the epicenter of which was 10 kilometers south and 65° east of Buenavista town.

This was felt at intensity 3 in Talibon and Bien Unido in Bohol, intensity 2 in Jetafe, Bohol and Cebu City, and intensity 1 in Lapu-Lapu City.

According to PHIVOLCS Visayas chief geologist Robinson Giorgio, at least six aftershocks were recorded since last Monday’s earthquake.

“Daghan aftershocks ang na-record since gahapon (Monday), three this morning including the one felt almost 8am,” Giorgio said yesterday.

He said that being an active fault, movements and ground shaking are expected but a strong one is less likely to occur.

“Humana man ang major movement from 2013. So dili na ta ka expect ug kusog from the same fault,” he said.

The last powerful earthquake in Cebu was recorded in the 1900s.

On February 6, 2012, a magnitude 6.9 earthquake jolted Guihulngan, Negros Oriental and was felt in adjacent Cebu which prompted a false tsunami scare that led to mass hysteria.

In October 15, 2013, it was the turn of Bohol to experience powerful temblor that brought to the ground historic churches and destroyed homes and structures. Some infrastructure, including churches in Cebu, were also damaged. —(FREEMAN)