The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) has recorded 22 aftershocks following a magnitude 5.1 earthquake that jolted Sipalay City, southern Negros Occidental, over the weekend.
According to Sipalay’s Dionelo Bogtae, Executive Assistant for Peace and Prder and Public Safety, a series of 22 aftershocks followed the initial tremor between 9:51 a.m. on Saturday and 2:40 p.m. on Sunday, May 18. These aftershocks ranged in magnitude from 1.5 to 4.1.
Mayor Gina Lizares confirmed that a rapid damage assessment was immediately conducted following the earthquakes. She assured the public that, fortunately, no infrastructure damage was reported in Sipalay City as a result of the seismic activity.
The initial earthquake that struck at 8:33AM on May 17 has a shallow depth of 20km beneath the epicenter near Sipalay. Shallow earthquakes are felt more strongly than deeper ones as they are closer to the surface.
The ground movement was also felt with varying intensities across Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, Panay, and Cebu, according to PHIVOLCS.
