By Brian Jules Campued
Three earthquakes of over magnitude 5 rattled the provinces of Ilocos Norte and Surigao del Sur on Wednesday, state seismologists reported.
A magnitude 5.4 tremor struck 15 kilometers (km) northwest of Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte around 12:05 p.m.
The tectonic quake had a depth of focus of 30 km, based on the earthquake information bulletin updated by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) at 12:45 p.m. of Feb. 7.
Intensity V was felt in Laoag City and the towns of Adams, Bacarra, Bangui, Burgos, Dingras, Dumalneg, Pagudpud, Pasuquin, Sarrat and Vintar in Ilocos Norte and the municipality of Lacub in Abra.
Intensity IV was detected in Magsingal, Ilocos Sur while Intensity III was recorded Ilagan City, Isabela.
Intensity II was also felt in Peñablanca, Cagayan.
Damage to infrastructure and aftershocks were expected, according to Phivolcs.
Surigao del Sur twin earthquakes
Meanwhile, a magnitude 5.1 tectonic earthquake hit 92 km southeast of Cagwait, Surigao del Sur around 10:56 a.m.
This occurred after a similar magnitude 5.0 quake jolted the same area 12 minutes earlier.
However, no intensities were reported by Phivolcs.
It added that there was no damage to property nor aftershocks expected from the consecutive earthquakes. – avds