The 2019 Batanes earthquake was a magnitude 6.0 earthquake which struck Batanes, Philippines on July 27, 2019. It was preceded by a 5.4 magnitude foreshock. Nine people were killed by the combined effects of the earthquakes.
Earthquake
The main shock of the earthquake was the 6.0 magnitude earthquake which had a depth of focus of 43 kilometers (27 mi). The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHILVOLCS) earlier recorded the tectonic earthquake as a magnitude 6.4 but later revised their records.[1][2] The earthquake occurred at 7:38 a.m. (UTC+8) on July 27, 2019, near Itbayat, Batanes.[3]
A noted foreshock[1] of the earthquake was the magnitude 5.4 earthquake which struck the same town at 4:16 a.m. (UTC+8). It had a depth of focus of 12 kilometers (7.5 mi)[4]
One of the stronger aftershocks was a magnitude 5.8 earthquake which occurred at 9:24 a.m. (UTC+8).[5]
No tsunami warning was raised following the main earthquake.[9]
Casualties and damage
At least 9 people were killed and 60 injured due to the earthquakes.[10] The historic Santa Maria de Mayan Church in Itbayat, built in 1888, sustained heavy damage from the earthquake with its bell tower falling off. Several stone houses,[11] two schools, and two health centers were also damaged.[12]
President Rodrigo Duterte made a visit to Batanes on July 28, 2019, to personally check the situation in the province.[12] He also made a pledge for the government to release ₱40 million for the construction of a new clinic with Duterte citing the uncertainty regarding the integrity of the still functional Itbayat District Hospital which sustained minimal cracks.[14] Then-vice president Leni Robredo also visited the island province.[15]
The NDRRMC also provided tents and other relief goods to people displaced due to earthquake via C-130. Other provinces and private organizations also provided aid to Batanes.[12] The agency also shipped construction materials for new houses meant for the victims of the earthquake.[16]
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