3 aftershocks felt after 5.2-quake jolts islands

By Norman Bordadora, Marlon Alexander Luistro, Madonna Virola
Inquirer
Last updated 02:27am (Mla time) 10/22/2006

http://newsinfo.inq7.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view_article.php?article_id=28001

Published on page A3 of the October 22, 2006 issue of the
Philippine Daily Inquirer
A MAGNITUDE 5.2-earthquake shook the sea floor between the islands of Mindoro and Marinduque at 10:30 Friday night, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology reported yesterday.

Phivolcs said the earthquake was felt on the two islands, parts of Southern Tagalog and Metro Manila. It generated three aftershocks yesterday—one at 1:27 a.m., another at 6:09 a.m. and the last at 10:53 a.m.

It added that the quakes did not indicate a bigger quake was coming.
There were no reports of damage or loss of life.

Rodrigo Medrano, Phivolcs research specialist in Tagaytay City, said the earthquakes were not strong enough to damage property or cause death. “They cannot also cause cracks among road infrastructures and buildings,” he said.

Despite the offshore location of the earthquake’s epicenter, Phivolcs said no tsunami lashed the coastal areas of Southern Luzon as the quake and its aftershocks “had magnitudes that are not capable of generating destructive tsunamis.”

Tsunamis were usually generated by a quake with a magnitude of about 7.0, the institute said.

“However, Phivolcs still expects aftershocks to continue occurring in the next few days which may be felt, especially within the vicinity of the epicenter,” it said in its Saturday morning bulletin. “Because of this, Phivolcs is continuously monitoring the area and any new development will be relayed to all concerned.”

Phivolcs said aftershocks normally exhibited lower magnitudes than the main quake but might vary in intensity.

Phivolcs reported the earthquake to have been felt with intensity five in Marinduque, Naujan in Mindoro Oriental, Batangas City and Bauan in Batangas; with intensity four in Manila, Lipa City in Batangas and San Pablo City in Batangas; with intensity three in Makati, Puerto Galera in Mindoro Oriental, Talisay in Batangas and Lucban in Quezon; with intensity two in Quezon City, Tagaytay City in Cavite and Guinayangan in Quezon.

Magnitude-five quakes and lower could just cause container spills and hanging objects such as chandeliers to sway, Medrano said. With an AFP report