By: Chito A. Chavez
A magnitude-6.2 earthquake shook Luzon and was felt in Metro Manila, shaking buildings and forcing the evacuation of offices and schools, yesterday.
There were no immediate reports of deaths or injuries in the quake, which the United States Geological Survey earlier measured at 6.6.
The quake struck at 1:28 p.m. 10.7 kilometers southeast of Nasugbu, Batangas, which is around 65 kilometers southwest of Manila, with a depth of 168 kms.
It was felt at Intensity 4 in Calapan, Mindoro; Subic, Zambales; Rosario, Cavite; and Manila and Sablayan, Occidental Mindoro;
Intensity 3 in Pateros City; Quezon City; Makati City; Malolos City, Bulacan; Cainta, Rizal; and Calamba City, Laguna;
Intensity 2 in Magalang, Pampanga and Tanauan City, Batangas;
Intensity 1 in Talisay, Batangas.
No tsunami warning was issued by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, which put the magnitude of the quake at 6.3, and said it expected aftershocks.
“Posible naman magkaroon ng aftershocks pero remember itong lindol ay malalim kaya hindi siya masyadong destructive kaya mararamdaman pero hindi destructive,” Phivolcs chief Renato Solidum said.
“Ang pagyanig kanina ay isang lindol na dulot ng tinatawag na pagkilos along the Manila Trench, ang lindol po ay malalim 160 kilometers kaya marami din po ang nakaramdam,” Solidum said.
The Philippines is on the geologically active Pacific Ring of Fire and experiences frequent earthquakes.