Intensity 3 tremor rocks Oro

RESIDENTS in Cagayan de Oro went into panic after a strong earthquake hit most part of the city Friday evening.

Marcial Labininay, director of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) based in Cagayan de Oro, said the earthquake, which hit the city at 8:48 p.m., was recorded at intensity 3.

Labininay said the earthquake was purely tectonic in origin.

As posted in the Phivolcs website, a magnitude 7.9 earthquake shook some parts of Visayas, particularly Eastern Samar, at 8:47 p.m. Friday.
Phivolcs said the quake's epicenter was located at 112 kilometers east of Guiuan, Eastern Samar.

It said the quake's origin is tectonic and has a depth of 10 kilometers.
The US Geological Survey (USGS) said in its latest bulletin that the quake’s epicenter was also located at 175 kilometers northeast of Surigao, 187 kilometers east southeast of Tacloban, Leyte and 749 kilometers southeast of Manila.

The USGS issued a tsunami warning in the Philippines as well as in Indonesia, Taiwan, Japan and Guam.

Aside from Cagayan de Oro, the tremor was also felt in Davao, Bukidnon, Butuan, Iligan City, Misamis Oriental, Cebu, Dumaguete, Bicol, Negros Occidental, Samar, Bohol and other areas.

Phivolcs had recommended evacuation along the coasts of Northern and Eastern Samar, Leyte, Surigao del Norte and Surigao del Sur.

It said it would monitor tsunami until 10:47 before lowering the alert. (Terry Betonio/Sunnex)