6.1 magnitude earthquake strikes Philippines Thursday night

Courtney Spamer
·1 min read
6.1 magnitude earthquake strikes Philippines Thursday night

Around 11:30 p.m. local time on Thursday night, March 26, an earthquake was detected at the southern tip of the Philippines, off the shores of the island of Mindanao.

According to USGS, the earthquake had a magnitude of 6.1 on the Richter Scale and the epicenter was located 8 km (5 miles) southwest of Baliton, in the Glan region of the southern Philippines. The quake's center was also approximately 53 km (33 miles) south of the General Santos City.

The above map shows the approximate epicenter of the earthquake that took place Thursday night, local time, off the coast from the city of Baliton (Photo/USGS).

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) issued a preliminary report that the organization expected damage from the earthquake and aftershocks to follow.

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The southern island of Mindanao was likely to bear the brunt of the damage, given its proximity to the epicenter.

Should extended cleanup be needed following the earthquake, several rounds of showers and thunderstorms are expected to move across Mindanao through the weekend.