4.6 tremor jolts parts of Visayas

MANILA, Philippines - An offshore earthquake jolted parts of the Visayas yesterday but state seismologists said there were no reported damage or injuries.

Renato Solidum, director of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), also allayed fears of a tsunami following the magnitude 4.6 tremor that hit Llorente town in Eastern Samar yesterday morning.

The quake occurred at 6:13 a.m. with its epicenter traced some eight kilometers southeast of Llorente, where it was felt at Intensity 4.

It was also felt at Intensity 3 in Borongan, Eastern Samar; Intensity 2 in Tacloban City and Mercedes, Oras, Dolores and San Policarpio towns, all in Eastern Samar; and Intensity 1 in Palo, Leyte.

Solidum said the quake in the Visayas was not related to the magnitude 5.7 tremor that struck North Cotabato last Saturday, injuring a number of villagers and damaging school buildings and roads.

He said the Visayas quake was caused by a movement along the Philippine Trench, while the North Cotabato quake was triggered by a local fault.

He, however, warned of possible aftershocks from the magnitude 4.6 quake.

Meanwhile, Solidum said the magnitude 5.7 quake in North Cotabato continued to generate aftershocks yesterday.

The latest aftershock was registered at magnitude 3.6. Its epicenter was located at 12 kms northwest of Carmen in North Cotabato, where it was slightly felt at Intensity 2, Phivolcs said.