A seismic event measuring 5.7 on the Richter scale occurred off the shores of Leyte island in the central Philippines on Sunday evening, as reported by the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The earthquake struck at 5:05 pm UTC (10:35 pm IST), with its epicenter located 2 kilometers south-southeast of Tambongon at a depth of 10 kilometers, according to USGS.
Reports from local media indicated that the tremors were felt across Leyte and parts of the Central Visayas region, although there were no immediate reports of damage or casualties resulting from the quake. Authorities mentioned that they were actively monitoring the situation for potential aftershocks, with local disaster response teams on standby to assess any structural impacts.
This seismic activity follows closely after a powerful 7.6 magnitude earthquake hit the Mindanao region of the Philippines on October 10, leading to widespread panic and the issuance of tsunami alerts. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) recorded the recent quake at a depth of 62 kilometers. Subsequent to this event, Indonesia issued a tsunami warning for its northern Sulawesi and Papua regions.
The 7.6 magnitude earthquake occurred less than a fortnight after the Philippines encountered its most fatal earthquake in over ten years when a 6.9 magnitude tremor struck off the coast of Cebu, resulting in the loss of at least 72 lives and significant damage to various structures.
The Philippines is situated within the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, a region prone to frequent seismic activity due to the convergence of multiple tectonic plates. The movement of the Philippine Sea Plate, the Eurasian Plate, and, to a lesser extent, the Indo-Australian Plate, contributes to the country’s high susceptibility to earthquakes.