Magnitude-5.2 quake hits Siargao Island

BUTUAN CITY – A magnitude 5.2 earthquake jolted Siargao Island early Saturday night, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said yesterday.

In its Sunday bulletin, Phivolcs said the earthquake was recorded at 6:34 p.m., and that it was tectonic of origin, with the epicenter located 15 kilometers (km) northeast from the town proper of Burgos, Siargao Island, Surigao del Norte province.

The earthquake had a depth of 22 km, it said.

Intensity 4 was registered at the town proper Burgos town and nearby Santa Monica town, both of Siargao Island, Surigao Del Norte province; and intensity 3 in Pilar and Del Carmen towns, also of that same island and province.

Intensity 3 was also recorded in Surigao City and intensity 2 in the municipalities of General Luna and Dapa, both in Siargao; and intensity 1 in Bucas Grande Socorro, Phivolcs said.

The state agency did not raise tsunami alert, but said it was expecting aftershocks.

Meanwhile, the Surigao del Norte and Siargao Island disaster risk reduction and management councils reported no damage to property or injuries because of the quake.

Surigao del Norte Gov. Sol F. Matugas alerted all rescue teams of the different DRRMCs in the province, particularly in Siargao Island to be on alert for aftershocks.

She also ordered head of the different rescue teams to go on the ground to personally look into the situation of the residents, especially those in coastal areas.