2013 Bohol Earthquake
2013 Bohol Earthquake
2013 Bohol Earthquake
Date
Duration
34 seconds[2]
Magnitude
Mw
Depth
Epicenter
7.2
Type
Tectonic[1]
Areas
affected
Philippines
Max.
intensity
The 2013 Bohol earthquake occurred on October 15, 2013, at 8:12 a.m.(PST) in Bohol, an island
[6]
province located in Central Visayas, Philippines. The magnitude of the earthquake at the epicenter
was recorded at Mw 7.2, located 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) SW of Sagbayan town, at a depth of 12
[1][7]
kilometres (7.5 mi).
It affected the whole Central Visayas region, particularly Bohol and Cebu.
The quake was felt in the whole Visayas area and as far as Masbate island in the north and
Cotabato provinces in southern Mindanao.
According to official reports by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management
Council (NDRRMC), 222 were reported dead, 8 were missing, and 976 people were injured. In all,
[4]
more than 73,000 structures were damaged, of which more than 14,500 were totally destroyed.
It was the deadliest earthquake in the Philippines in 23 years. The energy released by the quake
[8]
was equivalent to 32 Hiroshima bombs. Previously, Bohol was also hit by an earthquake on
[9][10]
February 8, 1990 that damaged several buildings and caused a tsunami.
On November 7, just 3 weeks after the quake, Super Typhoon Haiyan(Yolanda) struck the region.
Although the storm's eye missed the area affected by the earthquake, it sent some 40,000
Boholanos still living in temporary shelters back to evacuation centers and disrupted relief efforts in
[11]
the province.
Intensities
Geology
Initially it was thought that the epicenter was 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) east of Carmen, Bohol, triggered
[8]
by the East Bohol Fault. But according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and
Seismology (PHIVOLCS), the 7.2 earthquake may have been caused by a previously
undiscovered fault line transectingBohol running ENE-WSW parallel to the island's northwest
[12][13]
coast.
This was apparent in the pattern of epicenters of the subsequent aftershocks.
On October 20, a team of state volcanologists led by Dr. Teresito Bacolcol had discovered the
theorized new fault (now named North Bohol Fault) in Inabanga, a town 20 kilometres (12 mi) north
of the epicenter. Vertical displacement, as much 10 feet (3.0 m), was noted in the landscape of the
[14][15][16]
town. According to experts, the fault may be as much as 100 kilometres (62 mi) long.
It
was also noted that Bohol gained around 500 meters more of shoreline due to the quake and shifted
[17][18]
55 centimetres (22 in) west towards Cebu Island.
Aftershocks
Aftershocks continue to rattle Bohol Island and Cebu. As of December 6, 4,026 aftershocks were
[18]
recorded, 114 of which were felt.
Included in the aftershocks are the 5.3 magnitude tremor
[20]
experienced at 12:59 a.m. on October 26,
and another 4.8 magnitude quake at 1:28 p.m. on
[21]
November 12, centered at San Isidro, Bohol.
Warnings
[22][23]
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center did not issue a Pacific-wide tsunami threat.
The United
States Geological Surveyissued a yellow warning, saying "some casualties and damage are possible
and the impact should be relatively localised. Past yellow alerts have required a local or regional
[24]
level response."
SHOA, of the Chilean Navy, stated the earthquake would not affect national or
[25][26]
South American coasts.
Bohol
By far the most casualties and damage occurred in Bohol. A total of 209 people were confirmed
dead, 877 people were confirmed injured, and 8 confirmed missing. A rough estimate of the damage
[20]
is expected to be at least at 2.2 billion.
The town of Loon had the largest number fatalities (67).
Also, a total of 1,255,128 people (the province's entire population) were affected by the
[4]
quake. Nearly 71,900 residential houses were damaged (out of which 14,480 were totally
[4]
destroyed), with the towns of Loon, Tubigon, Carmen, and Calape among the worst affected.
A building at the Tagbilaran Port Terminal and a ceiling of the second floor and the airport tower
of Tagbilaran Airport inTagbilaran collapsed. The Church of San Pedro Apostol in Loboc, the Church
of Our Lady of Light in Loon and Santa Cruz Parish Church in Maribojoc collapsed; in Baclayon, the
facade of Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception and its bell tower were totally damaged.
[28]
Other churches, such as in Loay, Dauis, Dimiao, and Tubigon were also heavily damaged.
In
Carmen, a freestanding bell tower and an observation deck in the island's renowned Chocolate
[29][30][31]
Hills were destroyed, with some hills themselves damaged by landslides.
Several government buildings and numerous schools in the province were also partially or totally
[4]
damaged, including the municipal halls of twelve towns. The Congressman Natalino P. Castillo,
Sr. Memorial Hospital in Loon collapsed, trapping and killing an unknown number of
[32]
patients.
Some 32 bridges, including many along the National Road, and 13 road sections were
damaged and impassable, hampering aid efforts. Energy services in the province were also cut
[4]
off.
Damage in Bohol
Cabanatuan City
Date
Magnitude
7.8 Ms
Epicenter
15.7N 121.2ECoordinates:
15.7N 121.2E
Areas affected
Tsunami
Casualties
1,621
The Luzon earthquake occurred on Monday, July 16, 1990, at 4:26 PM local time in the Philippines.
The densely populated island of Luzon was struck by an earthquake with a 7.8 Ms (surface-wave
magnitude). The earthquake produced a 125 km-long ground rupture that stretched from Dingalan,
Aurora to Cuyapo, Nueva Ecija as a result of strike-slip movements along the Philippine Fault and
the Digdig Fault within the Philippine Fault System. The earthquake epicenter was placed at 15 42'
N and 121 7' E near the town of Rizal, Nueva Ecija, northeast of Cabanatuan City.[1] An estimated
1,621 people were killed in the earthquake,[2][3] most of the fatalities located in Central Luzon and
the Cordillera region.
Contents
[hide]
1 Impact
o 1.1 Baguio City, Benguet
o 1.2 Cabanatuan City
o 1.3 Dagupan City, Pangasinan
o 1.4 La Union
2 Patterns of damage
3 Geology
4 Media coverage
5 Bibliography
6 References
7 External links
Impact[edit]
The earthquake caused damage within an area of about 20,000 square kilometers, stretching from
the mountains of theCordillera Administrative Region and through the Central Luzon region. The
earthquake was strongly felt in Metropolitan Manila, Destroying many buildings and leading to panic
and stampedes and ultimately three deaths in the National Capital Region,[4] one of the lowest
fatalities recorded in the wake of the tremor. The Southern Tagalog (nowadays Regions 4A and 4B)
and Bicol Regions also felt the quake, but with low casualty figures.
Cabanatuan City[edit]
In Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija, the tallest building in the city, a six-story concrete school building
housing the Christian College of the Philippines, collapsed during the earthquake, which occurred
during school hours. Around 154 people were killed at the CCP building. Unlike in Baguio City, local
and international journalists were able to arrive at Cabanatuan City within hours after the tremor, and
media coverage of the quake in its immediate aftermath centered on the collapsed school, where
rescue efforts were hampered by the lack of heavy equipment to cut through the steel reinforcement
of fallen concrete.[4] Some of the victims who did not die in the collapse were found dead later from
dehydration because they were not pulled out in time.[12] A 20-year old high school student, Robin
Garcia, was later credited with rescuing at least eight students and teachers by twice returning under
the rubble to retrieve survivors. Garcia was killed by an aftershock hours after the quake while trying
to rescue more survivors, and he received several posthumous tributes, including medals of honor
from theBoy Scouts of the Philippines and President Corazon Aquino's[13] Grieving Heart Award for
his heroic effort that caught the world's attention of the quake due to quick media coverage in the
city, since most of the buildings were damaged save for the CCP building which was collapsed
totally. The Christian College of the Philippines was the only building in Cabanatuan City that
collapsed during the earthquake. The city suffered about 363 casualties, (including 274 who were
trapped ), with 154 of them dead. Most of the buildings here suffered moderately.
La Union[edit]
Five municipalities in La Union were affected: Agoo, Aringay, Caba, Santo Tomas, and Tubao with a
combined population of 132,208. Many buildings collapsed or were severely damaged. 100,000
families were displaced when two coastal villages sank due to liquefaction. The province suffered
many casualties and 32 of them died.
Patterns of damage[edit]
Based on preliminary analysis, cases and controls were similar in age and sex distribution. Similar
proportions of cases and controls were inside (74% and 80%, respectively) and outside (26% and
20%, respectively) buildings during the earthquake. For persons who were inside a building, risk
factors included building height, type of building material, and the floor level the person was on.
Persons inside buildings with seven or more floors were 35 times more likely to be injured (odds
ratio [OR]=34.7; 95% confidence interval [CI]=8.1-306.9). Persons inside buildings constructed of
concrete or mixed materials were three times more likely to sustain injuries (OR=3.4; 95% CI=1.113.5) than were those inside wooden buildings. Persons at middle levels of multistory buildings were
twice as likely to be injured as those at the top or bottom levels (OR=2.3; 95% CI=1.3-4.2).[14]
The earthquake caused different patterns of damage in different parts of Luzon Island. The mountain
resort of Baguio was most severely affected, it had a high population density and many tall concrete
buildings, which were more susceptible to seismic damage. Relief efforts proved difficult as all routes
of communication, roads, and airport access were severed for several days following the quake.
These efforts were further hampered by daily rainfall. Baguio is home to a large mining company and
a military academy; experienced miners and other disciplined volunteers played a crucial role in
early rescue efforts. Rescue teams arriving from Manila and elsewhere in Luzon were able to
decrease mortality from major injuries. Surgeons, anesthesiologists, and specialized equipment and
supplies were brought to the area, and victims were promptly treated. Patients requiring specialized
care (e.g., hemodialysis) not available in the disaster area were airlifted to tertiary hospitals. Damage
was caused by landslides in the mountains and settling in coastal areas. Relief efforts in these areas
were prompt and successful, partly because those areas remained accessible.[14]
On July 19, three days after the earthquake, the priority of relief efforts shifted from treatment of
injuries to public health concerns. For example, numerous broken pipes completely disrupted water
systems, limiting the availability of potable water, and refugees who camped in open areas had no
adequate toilet facilities. Early efforts at providing potable water by giving refugees chlorine granules
were unsuccessful. Most potable water was distributed from fire engines, and Department of Health
(DOH) sanitarians chlorinated the water before it was distributed. Surveys of refugee areas showed
few latrines; these had to be dug by the DOH.[15]