Tangbulan Fault seen as source of magnitude 6.9 earthquake in Davao del Sur

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) on Monday said the Tangbulan Fault that runs along Davao del Sur may have moved, causing the magnitude 6.9 earthquake that hit Mindanao anew on Sunday afternoon.

"Sa haba ng fault na ito, ito naman po talaga 'yung isa sa mga candidate na puwedeng magdulot ng mga major earthquake event na nangyari nga kahapon," PHIVOLCS Director Renato Solidum said in an interview on Dobol B sa News TV aired on GMA News TV.

He added that the series of earthquakes that jolted Mindanao in October were not directly related to the latest one which rocked Davao del Sur.

The previous temblors were attributed to the movements in the Cotabato fault system.

"Ang nangyari po doon sa serye ng paglindol sa Cotabato, magkakalapit po 'yung fault doon kaya noong gumalaw 'yung una ay nailipat po 'yung stress o pressure sa kapitbahay. At 'yun naman ang pinagsimulan ng panibagong lindol at naitulak ulit 'yung isa pang fault kaya tuluy-tuloy," Solidum said.

"Ito namang nangyari sa Davao del Sur, malapit ito although hindi magkadikit so titingnan pa namin kung naimpluwensiyahan ba ng pagkilos noong Oktubre itong fault na ito, o talagang separately puwede na rin siyang bumigay," he added.

Over 400 aftershocks were recorded as of early Monday morning, according to PHIVOLCS.

Residents of Davao del Sur may expect aftershocks until next week, it added. —Dona Magsino/KG, GMA News