Philippines: Earthquake - Dec 2023

The magnitude 7.4 earthquake that occurred off the coast of Hinatuan in Surigao del Sur on Saturday, 2 December, 10:37 p.m. local time was caused by movements in the Philippine trench, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS). The quake, initially reported by PHIVOLCS with 7.5 magnitude, was changed to 6.9, eventually to 7.4, raised a tsunami alert, which was lifted on Sunday morning, 3 December local time. Since the earthquake, PHIVOLCS recorded over 660 aftershocks, ranging from magnitudes 1.4 to 6.5; which are expected to continue over the coming days. The tsunami alert caused an immediate evacuation to higher grounds of over 26,000 people living in coastal areas of the provinces of Surigao del Sur and Davao Oriental. Most have returned home after the tsunami alert was lifted by PHIVOLCS. (OCHA, 3 Dec 2023)

The ASEAN Disaster Information Network (ADINet) and the Disaster Response Operations Monitoring and Information Center (DSWD DROMIC) report, as of 3 December, one fatality, two injured people and more than 236,798 affected people across 156 districts. In addition, at least 84 houses have been fully damaged, 436 partially damaged and one road have been affected. (ECHO, 4 Dec 2023)

The number of impacted people is increasing following the 7.6 M earthquake of 2 December that struck Hinatuan Municipality in Surigao Del Sur Province, Caraga Region, Mindanao, southern Philippines. Over the past 24 hours, dozens of aftershocks up to 5.7 M have been recorded in the area by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS). According to the Disaster Response Operations Monitoring and Information Center (DSWD DROMIC) and the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), one person died, and 12 were injured in Davao Region. Moreover, almost 1,800 people have been displaced, approximately 400,000 affected, and 2,279 houses damaged across Caraga and Davao Regions. (ECHO, 5 Dec 2023)

According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), as of 5 December, three people died and 48 others have been injured after the 7.6 M earthquake of 2 December that hit Hinatuan Municipality in Surigao Del Sur Province (Caraga Region, Mindanao, southern Philippines). In addition, more than 528,000 people have been affected, 51 are still displaced in one evacuation centre, and almost 1,900 are still pre-emptively evacuated across Caraga and Davao Regions. NDRRMC reports more than 3,000 aftershocks of magnitude between 1.4 M and 6.6 M across the affected area. National authorities are providing help for those affected, distributing family food packs (FFPs) to some 6,127 families from Hinatuan Municipality. (ECHO, 6 Dec 2023)