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SURIGAO CITY (MindaNews/02 June) – Cortes town in Surigao del Sur province has experienced earthquakes for two days already, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology.
Phivolcs said the first tremor occurred on May 31 midnight with a magnitude of 4.4 and was located 92 kilometer northeast of Cortes. It added the ground has shaken 51 times as of Monday morning.
Phivolcs said that up to 9:04 a.m. Monday (June 2), the quakes have struck 51 times, the strongest so far occurring at 3:05 a.m. Monday and registering a magnitude of 5.5. Most of the quakes had magnitudes of 3-4.
Herly Loreno, former designate officer of Cortes Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office told MindaNews over the phone that the quakes have been recurring for two days and “the people are really afraid of this.”
Loreno, however, said the townspeople have remained in their respective houses.
The quakes were also felt in Butuan City, Agusan del Norte, Surigao del Norte and Agusan del Sur.
In Surigao City, a 5.7-magnitude quake struck on May 30 at 11:26 am. its epicenter was located 167 km southeast of the city.
Phivolcs said the quakes were tectonic in origin.
No damage to properties and injuries were reported. (Roel N. Catoto/MindaNews)
