DUMAGUETE CITY–An intensity 6.8 earthquake of tectonic origin shook Dumaguete and nearby provinces at 11:49 Monday morning, sending people rushing out of buildings and cut off power in several areas of the city.
The US Geological Survey website placed the epicenter of the earthquake at 33 kms. deep, some 79 kilometers north of Dumaguete City or 564 kilometers south southeast of Manila.
The Office of Civil Defense in Negros Oriental also reported that one person was killed in the town of Tayasan, the quake’s epicenter, after he was hit by a collapsed concrete fence. Two houses were also reported damaged in the town of Jimalalud, some 100 kilometers north of Dumaguete.
The earthquake was the strongest ever felt in Negros Oriental, according to several residents here.
Gov. Roel Degamo ordered the suspension of work in all offices in the province Monday afternoon.
Adrian Sedillo, a member of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council, said the Governor’s directive was made as a precautionary measure in the event of more aftershocks.
Dumaguete City Mayor Manuel Sagarbarria also convened an emergency meeting of the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council at 1 p.m.
City Administrator William Ablong said work was suspended Monday afternoon due to fears of an aftershock and a possible tsunami.
Silliman University and Foundation University announced the suspension of all classes and offices Monday afternoon to inspect their buildings.
In a text message, Mark Raygan Garcia, director of the Silliman University Office of Information and Publication, said this is a precautionary measure that would give time for university personnel to inspect all buildings and facilities.
“This puts premium on the safety and welfare of our students and personnel,” Garcia said.
Meanwhile, a level-2 Tsunami alert has been issued by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology, warning those living in coastal areas along the Tanon Strait to be on alert for sea level rise.