Two earthquakes rocked parts of Negros Oriental on Tuesday morning, with both tremors described by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) here as locally generated.
Engr. Jose Molas, chief of the PHIVOLCS-Sibulan Seismic Station, disclosed that the two separate earthquakes in the towns of Valencia and Dauin appear to be from a “local” fault line.
But it also appears to be a “new” fault line “without a name yet”, Molas added.
PHIVOLCS reported that the first earthquake was at around 6:21 a.m. Tuesday, with a magnitude of 2.4 and a depth of 010 kilometers.
It was located 09.27°N, 123.19°E – 009 km S 79° W of Valencia, Negros Oriental.
Residents in Valencia said they felt strong shaking for a few seconds during the first tremor although the intensity of the earthquake was not immediately known.
The second tremor occurred around 8:55 a.m. with a magnitude of 2.8 and a depth of 18 kilometers, the PHIVOLCS report said.
Its location was mapped at 09.24°N, 123.12°E – 017 km N 72° W of Dauin, Negros Oriental.
Some residents in the provincial capital, Dumaguete City, said they felt something like a brief jolt thrust during the second earthquake event.
According to Engr. Molas, both earthquakes were tectonic in origin.
He explained that these movements are being closely monitored and mapped out by PHIVOLCS here to determine if there is, indeed, a new fault line.
Asked if the Dauin and Valencia earthquakes were connected, Molas said there is a possibility but only geologists can tell that is why they forward the information collected by PHIVOLCS to their geologists.
Dauin is about 15.8 kilometers south of Dumaguete while Valencia is 9.4 kilometers west of this capital.
Both the towns of Dauin and Valencia, however, share territorial boundaries. (Judy Flores Partlow/PNA)
