5.9-magnitude quake jolts Catanduanes

VIRAC, Catanduanes — A strong earthquake measuring 6.0 magnitude on the Richter scale rocked Catanduanes at past 2 p.m. yesterday and was felt in Metro Manila, and some parts of Luzon and the Visayas.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology (Phivolcs), which initially measured the magnitude of the earthquake at 5.9, recorded the earthquake around 2:19 p.m. Saturday.

Its epicenter was offshore, about 46 kilometers northwest of Pandan, this province and at the depth of 21 km.

Residents in Irosin in Sorsogon; Legazpi City, Iriga City and Ligao in Albay; Jose Panganiban in Camarines Norte; and Alabat in Quezon province felt the tremor as a “moderately strong” shaking at Intensity 4.

Mr. Darlan Barcelon, a local media practitioner in Legazpi City, said he was inside Metro Gaisano Mall with his friends when they felt that the whole building was shaking.

“Sobrang lakas nung lindol. Nakita ko nagtakbuhan palabas ng mall. May mga umiiyak sa lakas talaga (The quake was very strong. I saw people rushing out of the mall. Some were crying; it was really strong),” he said.

A similar scenario happened at the neighboring mall, Barcelon said. “All of the people were outside. There was panic,” he added.

Authorities, however, said there were no reported casualties as a result of the earthquake.

Meanwhile, Obando in Bulacan; Guinayangan, Lopez and Infanta in Quezon province; Sorsogon City; and Marikina City felt the earthquake at Intensity 3 or as a “weak tremor.”

Lucban in Quezon province; Quezon City; Masbate City in Masbate; Mauban in Quezon province, Catbalogan in Samar; Cabanatuan City in Nueva Ecija; and Palo, Leyte felt the earthquake at Intensity 2, a “slight” shaking.

Before the Pandan quake, a 4.6-magnitude tremor was also recorded in the municipality of Baras at 10:18 a.m.