A strong earthquake hit Davao Occidental Thursday evening.

A 7.1 magnitude earthquake jolted the province of Davao Occidental and other parts of Mindanao on Thursday, January 21, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said.

In a bulletin, Phivolcs traced the epicenter of the tremblor in the town of Jose Abad Santos in Davao Occidental around 8: 23 PM.

It has a depth of 116 kilometers, Phivolcs said.

Phivolcs also recorded the intensities as follows:

• Intensity V – City of General Santos
• Intensity IV – Davao City
• Intensity II – City of Bislig, Surigao del Sur

Phivolcs also reported the instrumental intensities in the following areas:

• Intensity V – Kiamba, Sarangani
• Intensity IV – City of General Santos; Alabel, Sarangani; Koronadal City, South Cotabato
• Intensity III – City of Kidapawan City of Bislig, Surigao del Sur; City of Gingoog, Misamis Oriental
• Intensity II – City of Cagayan de Oro; City of Surigao, Surigao del Norte; City of Borongan, Eastern Samar
• Intensity I – City of Catbalogan, Samar

No major damage

Jose Abad Santos, Davao Occidental Mayor Jason John Joyce, in a Facebook post, said people in his town are safe and there is no major damage on the town’s major structures.

Meanwhile, Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Mark Villar, in a Facebook post, said teams from DPWH were deployed to assess structural integrity, damages to key infrastructure in Davao Occidental. 

The Department of Science and Technology – Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (DOST-Phivolcs) also said there is no destructive tsunami threat.

(Source: Phivolcs)

You Might Also Want To Read: DOST-PHIVOLCS promotes a tsunami-ready Philippines