Magnitude-5 quake strikes Mindanao anew

Another earthquake, this time with a magnitude of 5.0, struck the southern Philippine province of Cotabato on Friday afternoon,  according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS).

PHIVOLCS said the tectonic earthquake happened at 2:07 p.m, just more than three hours after a magnitude 5.5 earthquake hit Sarangani on Friday morning.

Earthquake Information No.2
Date and Time: 01 Nov 2019 - 02:07 PM
Magnitude = 5.0
Depth = 002 kilometers
Location = 06.80N, 125.11E - 018 km S 07° E of Makilala (Cotabato)https://t.co/WvZJvAibPg

— PHIVOLCS-DOST (@phivolcs_dost) November 1, 2019

Its epicenter was located at 06.80N, 125.11E - 018 km S 07° E of Makilala.

Meanwhile, the earthquake was felt at Intensity V in Magsaysay, Davao del Sur and Intensity IV in Pikit Cotabato and Bansalan, Davao del Sur.

Though there is no expected damage, PHIVOLCS said there are expected aftershocks.

The island of Mindanao has been hit by several strong quakes in October, two of which happened on Tuesday and Thursday.

The number of people who died in the magnitude 6.6 and 6.5 earthquakes, which struck parts of Mindanao on Tuesday and Thursday, respectively, has reached 16, data from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) showed Friday.

In its latest situation report, the NDRRMC said that of the 16 fatalities, three came from Region XI while the remaining 13 were from Region XII.

The Philippines suffers regular tremors as part of the Pacific "Ring of Fire", an arc of intense seismic activity that stretches from Japan through Southeast Asia and across the Pacific basin. 

PHIVOLCS Director Renato Solidum earlier in the day said the movement in the Cotabato fault system caused the latest series of earthquakes and aftershocks in southern Philippines. — MDM, GMA News