TWO powerful earthquakes struck the province of Davao Oriental on Friday, Oct. 10, shattering the calm of the morning and evening. A magnitude 7.6 quake hit the town of Manay at 9:44 am, followed by a magnitude 6.9 tremor centered in Mati City at 7:12 pm.
The twin quakes also rattled the provinces of Davao de Oro, Davao City, and the Caraga region, sending shockwaves across much of Mindanao and parts of the Visayas.
The disasters left seven people dead and 11 others injured, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).
Third quake follows
Less than 24 hours later, another earthquake with a magnitude of 6.2 struck near Cagwait, Surigao del Sur, at 10:32 pm Saturday, Oct. 11, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) reported.
Cagayan de Oro City recorded Intensity IV shaking, while Misamis Oriental and Gingoog City registered Intensity II. Both areas previously felt Intensity V tremors from Friday’s morning quake in Davao Oriental.
As of press time, no significant damage has been reported from the Surigao del Sur quake.
Casualties and damage
The NDRRMC said three fatalities were reported in Mati City, three in Davao de Oro, and one in Davao City. Ten of the injured were from the Davao Region, while one was from the Caraga region.
A total of 3,519 families, or about 8,436 individuals, were affected in the Davao and Caraga regions. Of these, 2,468 families — 7,915 people — were forced to take shelter in evacuation centers.
At least 28 houses sustained minor damage, while five were destroyed. Several structures — including schools, churches, government buildings, and bridges — were damaged, though officials have yet to release the total cost of destruction.
The morning quake also caused damage to Robinsons Mall in Butuan City, according to reports.
‘Doublet’ temblors
Phivolcs Director Teresito Bacolcol described the two major earthquakes as a “doublet,” or two distinct but related quakes occurring close in time and location along the same fault system off the country’s eastern seaboard.
The pair of tremors, which occurred within 10 hours of each other, were among the strongest recorded in recent years in the Philippines — a country that lies along the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” where more than 800 earthquakes strike annually.
As of Saturday evening, Phivolcs had recorded about 826 aftershocks from the twin quakes.
The NDRRMC also reported that five road sections and one bridge in the Davao Region and Soccsksargen remain impassable due to quake damage.
