28/06/2024
LET'S PRAY, BUT LET'S ALSO BE PREPARED.๐
๐ฅ๐๐๐: Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) Director Teresito Bacolcol said that the country could experience earthquakes stronger than magnitude 8.
"The Philippine Archipelago is actually compressed on both sides by the Eurasian Plate and the Philippine Sea Plate, but the Eurasian Plate is almost immobile. The strong motion would come from the Philippine Sea Plate. We are being pushed towards the northwest," Bacolcol said in an interview with GMA News.
โThe Philippine Trench here in Samar is capable of generating [magnitude] 8.1 and when that happens, puwedeng mag generate ng tsunami as high as 10 meters. Dito naman sa Manila Trench, puwede siya mag generate ng [magnitude] 8.3 earthquake,โ he said.
He added that it might take only five minutes for the first tsunami waves to arrive following the earthquake, making it challenging to send out tsunami alerts as quickly as possible.
Bacolcol urged those living along the coast to recognize the signs of "Shake, Drop, and Roar" following a powerful earthquake.
"When there is a strong shaking to the point you can barely move or canโt stand, there is a sudden drop of sea level, and there is a roaring sound coming from the seaโฆ If thatโs one of the things youโve observed, you have to evacuate to a higher place immediately if youโre in a coastal community," he pointed out.
Bacolcol issued the remarks after a magnitude-7.2 earthquake hit eastern Taiwan on Wednesday, killing 10 people.
Last June, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said over 60,000 fatalities and 120,000 missing people were expected if a 7.2-magnitude earthquake, or the ''Big One'' hit Metro Manila.
SOURCE: PHIVOLCS/GMA News
