LEGAZPI CITY, (Philippines): Local officials reported minor damage in parts of Albay province following the magnitude 5.4 earthquake Friday (June 5) night.
Mart Ian Siapno, head of the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) of Sto. Domingo town, said initial monitoring showed two minor rockslide incidents in Barangay Alimsog and another in Barangay Buhatan.
The roads near the affected areas remain passable, but motorists have been advised to exercise caution.
Sto. Domingo Mayor Nomar Banda said a minor crack on a road in Sitio Balete, Barangay Alimsog, was also reported after the earthquake, which struck at around 9.57pm, about 15 kilometres southeast of the town.
Banda said another assessment would be conducted on Saturday morning to check for possible damage to infrastructure.
In Legazpi City, a minor rockfall was also recorded at Kapuntukan Hill along Legazpi Boulevard.
Miladee Azur, head of the Legazpi City MDRRMO, said engineering teams had been deployed to assess the structural integrity of government buildings and other infrastructure.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said the quake was felt at Intensity V in Sto. Domingo and Legazpi City in Albay.
Intensity IV was recorded in Tabaco City, Ligao City, and Malilipot town in Albay, as well as in the municipalities of Casiguran, Irosin, and Donsol in Sorsogon province.
Phivolcs said Intensity III was felt in Naga City in Camarines Sur; Sorsogon City; the municipalities of Prieto Diaz and Juban in Sorsogon; and Malinao town in Albay.
Intensity II was also recorded in the municipalities of Goa in Camarines Sur and Bulan in Sorsogon.
Earlier that evening, Phivolcs recorded a magnitude 4.1 earthquake northeast of Sto. Domingo at 7.22pm, followed by a magnitude 3.1 tremor at around 8.09pm.
As of early Saturday (June 6), seven aftershocks ranging from magnitude 2.1 to 3.1 have been recorded. - Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN
