Earthquakes in the Philippines and Indonesia

A strong earthquake rocked the Indonesian island of Bali early this morning, just hours after a mild earthquake in southern Philippines yesterday.

>>>Strong earthquake causes tsunamis in the Philippines

The US Geological Survey said the earthquake in Indonesia had a magnitude of 6.4 on the Richter scale and appeared at a depth of 8km at 2:23 am this morning in local time. The epicenter was 278km south of Denpasar, the administrative center of Bali island. Officials have not issued a tsunami warning and have not published information about earthquake damage.

People repaired houses that fell because of the earthquake on August 31
in Samar province in central Philippines on September 2. (Photo: AFP)

A few hours earlier, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Geology announced an earthquake of magnitude 5.9 and appeared at a depth of 36km below the Celebes seabed yesterday. Its epicenter is about 67km west of Palimbang city on Mindanao island, AFP reported.

'Objects in many cities near Palimbang shake because of the earthquake, but we predict it will not cause serious damage. The aftershocks may appear , ' said Retano Solidum, head of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Geology.

Philippine officials have reported that they have not been able to account for human and property damage.

Solidum said the earthquake on September 3 was not related to the 7.6-magnitude earthquake near Mindanao on August 31. That earthquake caused the Philippine government to issue a tsunami warning. Thousands of people in coastal villages on islands in the southern and central regions of the country have evacuated. However, seismic triggers only small waves.

The Philippines is one of the most disaster-prone countries in the world. On average, about 20 storms spill over the country each year. Located on the Pacific Ring of Fire, the area contains volatile volcanoes and troughs under the ocean, the Philippines also frequently shakes by earthquakes.