Magnitude 6.9 Earthquake Strikes Negos Oriental, Death Toll At Seven

A magnitude 6.9 earthquake was reported at 11:49 AM (PHT) this morning in Negros Oriental in the Philippines, with the current death toll hovering at seven.

AsianScientist (Feb. 6, 2012) – A magnitude 6.9 earthquake was reported at 11:49 AM (PHT) this morning at Tayasan town in Negros Oriental, said a statement released by the Philippine government’s Official Gazette website.

The earthquake was assessed to have a preliminary magnitude of 6.9, occurring at a latitude of 9.97˚N and 123.14˚E, and at a depth of 10 kilometers.

Intensity III tremors were reported as far south as Butuan and Cagayan de Oro, and as far north as Legaspi City in Albay. Dumaguete City, the nearest major city to the epicenter, experienced Intensity VII tremors.

President Benigno Aquino is being constantly updated of the situation, the statement said. He has tasked the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) to monitor the affected areas for further seismic activity.

A Level 2 tsunami alert was issued at the time of the earthquake by PHIVOLCS, although the alert was later “canceled after an extended observation period of two hours,” a PHIVOLCS Twitter update at 3 PM (PHT) said.

Seven have already been confirmed dead due to the earthquake, said the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) executive director Benito Ramos in a GMA News TV interview.

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Source: Office of the President of the Philippines.
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