Map of Masbate province from Wikipedia.
LEGAZPI CITY – Almost two weeks after a magnitude 4.4 earthquake hit Dimasalang town, 2.4 and 4.8 magnitude temblors struck Cataingan town again on Tuesday and Monday, respectively, also in Masbate island, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) reported.
The latest quake occurred at 2:46 a.m. with the epicenter traced at nine kilometers south of Cataingan at a depth of one kilometer.
The stronger quake struck at 4:23 a.m. Monday with the epicenter located 11 kilometers also south of Cataingan, at a depth of 16 kilometers.
Phivolcs said the Monday quake was felt at Intensity 3 in Masbate City; Intensity 2 in Legazpi City, and the towns of Irosin and Magallanes in Sorsogon; and Intensity 1 in Naval, Biliran; Palo, Leyte; and Roxas City.
The earthquakes were not expected to inflict damage to life and property.
On November 19, Dimasalang town in Masbate was hit by magnitude 4.4 jolter that was felt at Intensity 4, which is classified as moderately strong, and Intensity 3 in Palanas and Masbate City.
Four days earlier, a magnitude 5 quake rocked Pio V. Corpus town at about 2:35 p.m. It was followed by three more quakes, the strongest of which was felt at Intensity 4.
A day before the Pio V. Corpus temblor, a magnitude 4.3 quake hit Baras in Catanduanes.
On August 18, a magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck Masbate province and other areas in Bicol and the Visayas, killing a retired police officer and injuring 24 others.
The temblor occurred at 8:03 a.m. and was centered seven kilometers southeast of Cataingan, where it was felt at Intensity 7. It was classified by Phivolcs as “destructive”.
Phivolcs said the quakes were caused by the movement of the Philippine Fault Zone-Masbate and Catanduanes segments. (PNA)
