Significant damage is to be feared. A strong earthquake of magnitude 6.4 was recorded Tuesday evening in the northern Philippines, said the Institute of Geological Studies of the United States (USGS).
“We expect damage,” seismologist Charm Villamil told reporters of the earthquake, which hit the outskirts of the town of Dolores in eastern Damar province at 10:59 p.m. He specified that the impact on the buildings would depend on their solidity and the characteristics of the soils. The earthquake was felt as far away as the capital Manila, more than 330 kilometers to the south.
Frequent earthquakes
Already hit by Typhoon Noru in recent weeks, the Philippines was also shaken by an earthquake at the end of July on the main island of Luzon. With a magnitude of 7, it had caused several victims and had shaken the buildings of Manila.
Earthquakes are common in the Philippines, which sits on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” an arc of volcanic activity that stretches from Japan to Southeast Asia and the Pacific Basin.