Magnitude 6.6 earthquake hits Masbate

A magnitude 6.6 earthquake hit Cataingan, Masbate on Tuesday morning, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS).

The earthquake — initially recorded as magnitude 6.5 — was recorded at 8:03 a.m.

Its epicenter was located at 11.98°N, 123.98°E - 005 km S 17° W of Cataingan.

The depth of focus of the earthquake is one kilometer.

The quake was tectonic in origin.

Intensity IV was felt in Mapanas in Northern Samar; Legazpi City in Albay; and Lezo in Aklan.

Intensity III was felt meanwhile in Iloilo City, and Intensity I in President Roxas in Capiz.

No tsunami threat

PHIVOLCS said there was no risk of a tsunami from the earthquake but warned of the risk of aftershocks.

"The possibility of a stronger magnitude aftershock cannot be discounted," PHIVOLCS chief Renato Solidum said in a radio interview.

According to National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council spokesman Mark Timbal, an initial information from the Office of Civil Defense V indicated that residences made of light materials in Palanas, Masbate have sustained some damages.

Timbal said coordination is ongoing to determine the effect of quake in other areas. 

Meanwhile, some buildings in Cataingan reportedly sustained cracks, according to the Masbate Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office.

Among the buildings damaged is a coliseum housing locally stranded individuals, Junie Castillo of the LDRRMO said in an interview on Dobol B sa News TV, citing initial reports. The coliseum reportedly had cracks.

Rodrigo Gonhuran, 30, a computer shop technician based near the epicenter, told Reuters it was the strongest quake he had felt in the area.

"My cabinet and other stuff at home fell down and my neighbors' walls cracked and some collapsed," he said, speaking from the town of Cataingan, which has a population of more than 50,000 people.

The Philippines, which has a population of 107 million, lies on the “Ring of Fire,” a belt of volcanoes circling the Pacific Ocean that is also prone to earthquakes. — with Anna Felicia Bajo and Reuters/KG/RSJ/KBK, GMA News