Magnitude 6.1 earthquake in Davao del Sur prompts evacuations

Some people were evacuated from hospitals in Kidapawan City after a magnitude 6.1 earthquake hit Davao del Sur on Sunday, according to the city disaster risk reduction management office (CDRRMO).

"Tayo ay nag-evacuate ng mga ospital sa lungsod," Kidapawan CDRRMO’s Psalmer Bernalte said in an interview on Super Radyo dzBB.

Residents in Kidapawan City felt the quake at Intensity V.

"Kumuha na tayo ng mga ulat sa mga barangay kung may pinsala ba ang lindol," Bernalte said.

He added that around 100 families living near Mt. Apo will be preemptively evacuated to ensure they are out of harm's way should landslides occur as a result of the major earthquake and its aftershocks.

Authorities will implement a forced evacuation on Monday if some residents will refuse to leave their homes, he said.

According to Bernalte, the evacuation will be conducted in areas with moderate risk of landslide, which are surrounded by areas with high risk for the hazard.

“Tayo ay magko-conduct ng preemptive evacuation doon sa mga areas na napapaligiran ng high risk landslide areas,” he said.

“Itong ‘yung mga community na moderate naman, hindi naman landslide high risk, pero sila ay napapaligiran ng landslide high risk areas,” he added.

So far, the office has not received any report of damage or casualty due to the earthquake, Bernalte said.

GenSan

In a separate interview, General Santos City DRRMO’s Bong Dacera said their office is also considering the implementation of evacuation due the threat of aftershocks.

“Kung meron pong mga aftershock po dito e mas maigi po na nailikas na natin 'yung mga kinakailangang ilikas,” Dacera said.

According to him, affected residents were already advised about the possible evacuation.

The city’s damage assessment teams are still gathering additional information on the impact of the earthquake to the area, he added.

'Parang iniuuntog'

Meanwhile, in the town of Magsaysay, the municipal government’s public information office chief Anthony Allada said Sunday's earthquake is different from what they experienced in previous years.

“Hindi kagaya ng ibang experience namin sa ibang lindol na parang dinuduyan ka. ‘Yung nangyari kasi kanina parang iniuuntog ka,” he said in an interview on Super Radyo dzBB.

Intensity V was felt in Magsaysay, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology.

Allada said the structures in the town are more resilient now after the magnitude 6.3 earthquake they encountered in October 2019, which resulted in serious damage in buildings.

The magnitude 6.1 earthquake which struck at 12:22 p.m. on Sunday was tectonic in origin and had a depth of focus of 15 km. Its epicenter was located in Magsaysay, Davao del Sur.

Earlier in the day, a magnitude 4.8 earthquake also hit Magsaysay.

The epicenter of the quake which occurred at 7:28 a.m. was located at 6 km northwest of Magsaysay. —KG, GMA News