A 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck off the southern Philippines on Wednesday, shaking communities near Sarangani Island and sending people running in panic, according to the United States Geological Survey
(USGS).
The earthquake occurred at 12.14 pm local time (0414 GMT), with its epicentre located about 32 kilometres southwest of Sarangani Island, the USGS said.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre estimated the quake’s depth at 62 kilometres and confirmed that no tsunami warning had been issued following the tremor.
There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage.
According to AFP, the earthquake struck while a large crowd had gathered on Sarangani Island to receive a government financial subsidy, briefly triggering panic among those present.
“The shaking was quite strong. I saw people in panic. They were running and shouting,” Sarangani Island rescuer Harly Sauro told AFP.
Sauro said the tremor occurred during the distribution of government financial assistance, meaning a significant number of residents were gathered at the local court when the ground began to shake.
“The earthquake came while the local government was giving a financial subsidy, so there were many people at the court, but everyone’s safe,” he said.
Based on the initial assessment, Sauro said authorities were not expecting any casualties or major destruction.
“Based on our assessment and experience, we don’t think there will be casualties or damage,” he added.
The latest earthquake comes just weeks after a far more destructive tremor struck the nearby island of Mindanao on June 8.
That powerful earthquake caused buildings to collapse, triggered landslides and claimed at least 76 lives.
The June earthquake was caused by movement along the Cotabato Trench, which also lifted sections of the seabed by as much as two metres (6.6 feet). The seabed uplift exposed coral reefs and caused damage to marine ecosystems.
The Philippines experiences earthquakes almost every day because it lies on the Pacific Ring of Fire, a vast belt of intense seismic and volcanic activity that stretches from Japan through Southeast Asia and across the Pacific Ocean.
While many of these earthquakes are too weak to cause significant damage, stronger tremors periodically strike the country, posing risks to lives, infrastructure and coastal communities.
