Series of quakes, the strongest at magnitude 6, rocks Batangas, surrounding areas

People rushed out of a mall after a series of strong quakes shook Batangas province. (Eagle News Service)
People rushed out of a mall after a series of strong quakes shook Batangas province again on Saturday afternoon, April 8.  More than 130 aftershocks have shook the province since the initial magnitude 5.5 quake that struck the province on Tuesday night, April 4, 2017. (Eagle News Service)

 

(Eagle News) – A series of quakes – the strongest of which were magnitude 5.6 and 6.0 — shook the province of Batangas at past 3 p.m. Saturday, April 8, and were felt in other Southern Tagalog provinces and parts of Metro Manila, according to the Philippines Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS).

The quakes were tectonic in origin, with its epicenter near Mabini town in Batangas, where they were felt at intensity 7.

The quakes were felt at intensity 6 in Calatagan, Nasugbu and Tingloy towns in Batangas; at intensity 5 in Batangas City, Sto. Tomas and Lemery also in Batangas, and in Tagaytay City; intensity 4 in Dasmarinas, Cavite, Lucena City, and Pateros City; intensity 3 in Makati City, Pasay City, Quezon City, Muntinlupa City, Malabon City, Mandaluyong City, Bacoor, Cavite; and intensity 2 in Daet City.

 

Courtesy Phivolcs.
Courtesy Phivolcs.

 

The first strong quake on Saturday afternoon had a magnitude of 5.6 which struck Batangas at 3:07 p.m., followed by a stronger quake at magnitude 6.0 that rocked the province two minutes later, at 3:09 p.m.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) had earlier reported the quakes in Batangas at 5.5 magnitude at 3:08 p.m., and at magnitude 5.9 at 3:09 p.m., with the reported epicenters just a kilometer northeast of Barangay Bagalangit in Mabini, Batangas, and one kilometer southwest of Barangay Talaga in Tanauan, Batangas.

 

Photo grabbed from USGS website
Photo grabbed from USGS website

 

Aftershocks of 4.7 and 4.1, followed the strong quakes, hitting Batangas which was still reeling from the strong 5.5 magnitude quake that hit the province on Tuesday night, April 4, according to PHIVOLCS data.

The province had since felt more than 130 aftershocks since Tuesday night’s quake, damaging properties and striking fear among residents.