Philippines 7.6 Earthquake: One Dead, Tsunami Alert Lifted
This US Geological Survey map shows the location of the 7.6 magnitude earthquake which struck off the coast of the Philippines Friday, Aug. 31, 2012.
A magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck off the Philippines coast, causing one fatality. The earthquake knocked out power in some towns, but only triggered a small tsunami.
A 7.6-magnitude earthquake struck off the Philippines’ eastern coast late Friday, killing one person in a house collapse, knocking out power in several towns and spurring panic about a tsunami that ended up generating only tiny waves.
The quake set off car alarms, shook items off shelves and sent many coastal residents fleeing for high ground before the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center lifted all tsunami alerts it had issued for the Philippines and neighboring countries from Indonesia to Japan, and for Pacific islands as far away as the Northern Marianas.
The quake, with preliminary magnitude 7.6, hit at a depth of 34.9 kilometers (21.7 miles) and was centered 106 kilometers (66 miles) east of Samar Island, the U.S. Geological Survey said.
The quake knocked out power in several towns and cities across the central and southern Philippines, though it was restored in some areas later Friday, according to rescuers and local radio reports.
The Philippine archipelago is located in the Pacific “Ring of Fire” where earthquakes and volcanic activity are common. A magnitude-7.7 quake killed nearly 2,000 people in northern Luzon Island in 1990.
Courtesy : csmonitor
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