The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) has issued an advisory for possible minor sea-level disturbances following a magnitude 6.9 earthquake that struck Cebu Tuesday evening. In its advisory, Phivolcs urged the public to be on alert for unusual waves, noting that people should ‘stay away from the beach and not go to the coast’ of the following provinces until the advisory is lifted:
Leyte
Cebu
Biliran
‘People whose houses are located very near the shoreline of these provinces are advised to move father inland,’ the Phivolcs said.
‘Owners of boats in harbors, estuaries, or shallow coastal water of the above-mentioned provinces should secure their boats and move away from the waterfront. Boats already at sea during this period should stay offshore in deep waters until further advised,’ it added.
The Phivolcs earlier said that the center of the magnitude 6.9 quake, which occurred at 9:59 p.m. and was initially reported as magnitude 6.7, was located 21 kilometers northeast of the City of Bogo, Cebu, at a depth of 5 kilometers.
The agency added that aftershocks are expected and property damage may occur./mcm