TWO earthquakes, with magnitudes 5.9 and 5.6, struck Davao de Oro in southern Philippines on Tuesday afternoon, with aftershocks and damage expected, according to state seismologists.
Tuesday’s tremors follow the magnitude 4.5 and 5.2 that rattled the province early Monday morning.
Davao de Oro Governor Dorothy Montejo-Gonzaga immediately canceled classes and work on March 7 following the earthquakes, and the suspension will be in effect indefinitely to give way to building assessment.
Classes and work were also suspended Monday.
Several local governments, including the capital town of Nabunturan and Maragusan, shared photos of damage on schools and commercial establishments as well as landslides on their social media pages.
The province is largely an agricultural and mining area with no high-rise structures.
The earthquakes were felt in various reported intensities in the cities of Davao, Tagum, Bislig, and Cagayan de Oro
The Philippines lies in the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, a belt of volcanoes around the Pacific Ocean where most of the world’s earthquakes strike. — MSJ