Cebu's Oct. 13 strong earthquake an aftershock from Sept. 30 event —PHIVOLCS

The latest strong earthquake in Bogo City, Cebu early Monday morning was an aftershock from the magnitude 6.9 earthquake last September 30, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) said. 

“It's an aftershock of the magnitude 6.9 event na nangyari noong September 30,” PHIVOLCS chief Dr. Teresito Bacolcol told Unang Hirit in an interview.

(It's an aftershock of the magnitude 6.9 event that happened on September 30.)

“Ang in-expect kasi natin na aftershock from the magnitude 6.9 event is maximum would be around 5.9. So, ito 5.8. So this is not surprising,” he added.

(We expected the aftershocks from the magnitude 6.9 event to be around 5.9. So, this is 5.8. So this is not surprising.)

PHIVOLCS considers an earthquake as an aftershock if its magnitude is 1.0 lower than the magnitude of the main shock around the same area.

The number of aftershocks in Cebu earthquake has reached over 10,000 so far.

At 1:06 a.m. on Monday, an earthquake initially reported as magnitude 6.0 hit Bogo City, Cebu. PHIVOLCS later downgraded the earthquake to magnitude 5.8.

The earthquake had a depth of five kilometers, according to PHIVOLCS.

Intensity V—the highest reported intensity—was felt in Bogo City, Daanbantayan, Medellin, San Remigio, Tabogon, and Tabuelan in Cebu; Villaba in Leyte; and Escalante City in Negros Occidental.

The Office of Civil Defense on Monday said there were 75 reported fatalities due to the magnitude 6.9 earthquake. —KG, GMA Integrated News