7.2 quake jolts Sarangani province
OCD administrator Ariel Nepomuceno, also the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council executive director, said the tsunami alert is not yet hoisted amid the strong earthquake.
A 7.2-magnitude earthquake rocked the province of Sarangani in Davao Occidental on Friday afternoon, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology.
In its earthquake bulletin, Phivolcs said the tremor struck at 4:14 p.m. with the epicenter tracked at 05.37°N, 125.15°E east, about 10 kilometers offshore Davao Occidental province.
The agency said that it is expecting damages and aftershocks following the strong quake, which was recorded by the agency as Intensity 8 in Glan Municipality, Sarangani and General Santos City, South Cotabato; Intensity 5 in Matanao, Davao del Sur Maasim, Malapatan; Lake Sebu, Tampakan, Polomolok, Banga, South Cotabato and Intensity 4 in Kidapawan City, Cotabato; Magsaysay, Davao City, Davao del Sur; Don Marcelino, Jose Abad Santos, Davao Occidental; Kiamba, Maitum, Saranggani; Norala, Tantangan, South Cotabato; President Quirino, Lebak, Isulan, Esperanza, Columbio, Kalamansig, Sultan Kudarat.
The Office of the Civil Defense said it is now evaluating the damages in the affected places and according to OCD administrator Ariel Nepomuceno — who also serves as National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council executive director — a tsunami alert is not yet hoisted amid the strong earthquake.
“We are still waiting for an official report regarding the possible casualties and damages,” Nepomuceno said.
Meanwhile, NDRRMC spokesperson Edgar Posadas disclosed that they are now coordinating with the OCD’s regional offices and local government units in Davao Occidental, Soccksargen, and Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
Posadas said no major incidents like collapsed buildings, have so far been reported but evaluation and assessment of the impacts of the earthquake are still ongoing.
“There were reported power outages in Region 12 and some damages in the General Santos airport,” Posadas said.
Meantime, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines said that minor damages have been recorded at the General Santos Airport.
According to General Santos Airport manager Joel Gavina, they have seen tiny cracks on the airport’s columns but stressed that every staff member and passenger are present and safe and there were no reported injuries.
Over at Davao, Davao Airport Area Manager Engineer Rex Ocena said that they have not seen any damages at the airport’s structures after the strong quake.