Pregnant woman killed, 4 injured in 7.4 quake in Surigao del Sur

A PREGNANT woman died and thousands were evacuated when a magnitude 7.4 earthquake rocked Surigao del Sur on Saturday night.

Ednar Dayanghirang, director of the Office of Civil Defense-Davao region, said the victim died after she was pinned down by a wall that collapsed in Mati City, Davao Oriental.

A report from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said four were injured in the quake, which occurred at 10:37 p.m. with the epicenter located 29 km northeast of Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur.

The quake, of tectonic in origin, had a depth of 26 km, said the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs).

The shaking was felt at Intensity VII in Tandag City in Surigao del Sur; and Intensity VI in Maco and Monkayo in Davao de Oro, Bayabas City, and Hinatuan in Surigao del Sur.

It was also felt at Intensity V in Borongan City in Eastern Samar, Palo in Leyte, Cagayan de Oro City in Misamis Oriental, Nabunturan in Davao de Oro, Tagum City in Davao del Norte, Davao City, Cabadbaran City in Agusan del Sur, and Esperanza and Talacogon in Agusan del Sur.

Phivolcs said it recorded 955 aftershocks, ranging from magnitude 1.4 to 6.2, as of 4 p.m. yesterday.

Phivolcs issued tsunami alert, causing the evacuation of thousands of people in coastal areas. The NDRRMC reported .64 meter-high waves were observed.

A tsunami warning was also issued in Japan, though a U.S. agency said the risk of large waves had passed.

The U.S. Tsunami Warning System, which initially warned of waves of up to 3 meters (10 feet) above the usual high tide level, later said there was no longer a tsunami threat.

“Based on all available data … the tsunami threat from this earthquake has now passed,” it said.

“Minor sea level fluctuations may occur in some coastal areas,” it also said.

Waves of 40 cm (1.3 feet) were observed on Japan’s Hachijojima island, some 290 km (180 miles) south of Tokyo, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency, which had initially said they could reach a meter (3 feet) in height.

DAMAGE

Dayanghirang said more than 2,000 families or around 10,000 individuals were evacuated at the gymnasium of Mati City in Davao Oriental.

But the NDRRMC