A powerful 6.2 magnitude earthquake jolted parts of Northern Luzon in the Philippines on Wednesday morning, according to seismologists. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology located the quake’s epicenter some 22 kilometers northwest of Dalupiri Island in Cagayan province.
The offshore temblor, which hit at around 11:35AM local time, was moderately shallow at only 10 kilometers deep. The tectonic quake was felt as far as the cities of Laoag in neighboring Ilocos Norte province and nearby Pasuquin municipality, where inhabitants reported an intensity level of IV on the Philippine intensity scale. This means the quake was capable of causing light damage.
Provincial disaster officials conducted initial assessments of key infrastructure and reported no damage had occurred as a result of the strong ground shaking. “We are thankful the earthquake happened offshore and was not directly below a populated area,” said Marcell Tabije of the Ilocos Norte disaster risk reduction office. “The province appears to have avoided any impact this time.”
While earthquakes are common in the seismically active Philippines, scientists noted this earthquake’s offshore epicenter helped mitigate damage. However, aftershocks may still be felt in coming days as the fault zone relieves built-up stresses. Nearby residents are advised to monitor official advisories in case of any changes in seismic activity levels.
