A magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck the Philippines this Saturday (2). According to the United States Geological Center (USGS), the quake struck at a depth of 32 km in the Mindanao region at around 10:37 p.m. (11:37 a.m. Brazil time).
According to Portal, information on victims and damage from the earthquake is not yet available.
The Philippine government ordered the evacuation of two provinces in the country Surigao do Sul and Davao due to the tsunami warning. The quake is expected to cause waves of at least one meter. Waves could also reach the southwest coast of Japan.
1 of 2 The earthquake shook the Mindanao region in the southern Philippines. — Photo: Arte g1/Vitória Coelho The earthquake shook the Mindanao region in the southern Philippines. — Photo: Arte g1/Vitoria Coelho
The United States tsunami warning system even warned of the risk of waves up to three meters high, but the forecast was scrapped.
The Philippine seismology agency PHIVOLCS said tsunami waves could hit the country at midnight (1 p.m. Brazil time).
Raymark Gentallan, local police chief in the coastal town of Hinatuan, near the epicenter of the quake, told Portal that power had been out since the quake. “We are evacuating people from coastal cities,” he explained. The city has a population of around 44,000 residents.
Frequent earthquakes in the region
🌋The “Ring of Fire” or “Pacific Circle of Fire” is a 40,000 kilometer long horseshoeshaped area surrounding the Pacific Ocean. The region has at least 450 active volcanoes and a high frequency of earthquakes.
2 of 2 Map identifies the Pacific Ring of Fire region Photo: Science/G1 Map identifies the Pacific Ring of Fire region Photo: Science/G1
The area includes countries such as the United States, Canada, Russia and Japan, as well as Southeast Asia and Oceania.
This is the place with the greatest seismic activity in the world. On average, a seismic shock is recorded in the region every five minutes. According to the United States Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency (NOAA), the “Ring of Fire” is the result of different tectonic plates coming together.