November 2023 Mindanao earthquake

Magnitude 6.7 earthquake in the Philippines

November 2023 Mindanao earthquake

A partially collapsed house in Malapatan, Sarangani

General Santos City

UTC time| 2023-11-17 08:14:10
ISC event| 635897768
USGS-ANSS| ComCat
Local date| November 17, 2023 (2023-11-17)
Local time| 16:14
Magnitude| 6.7 Mww(USGS)
6.8 Mw(PHIVOLCS)
Depth| 52.0 km (32.3 mi)
Epicenter| 34°56′46″N 63°34′48″E﻿ / ﻿34.946°N 63.580°E﻿ / 34.946; 63.580
Type| Reverse
Areas affected| Mindanao
Total damage| 21.9 million pesos (US$398,100) (as of 21/11/2023[1])
Max. intensity| MMI VIII (Severe)

PEIS VIII (Very destructive)[2]
Landslides| Yes
Casualties| 11 dead, 730 injured

At 16:14 PST (08:14 UTC) on November 17, 2023, the province of Sarangani on the island of Mindanao in the Philippines was struck by an earthquake measuring 6.7 Mww. It had a maximum perceived intensity of VIII (Severe) on the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale. At least eleven people were killed and another 730 were treated for injuries.

## Tectonic setting

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Further information: Subduction tectonics of the Philippines and Philippine Fault System

The Cotabato Trench in southern Mindanao and the Philippine Mobile Belt.

Mindanao lies across the complex convergent boundary between the Sunda plate and the Philippine Sea plate. Part of the oblique convergence between these plates is taken up by subduction along the Cotabato Trench. The strike-slip component of the convergence is accommodated partly by the Philippine fault system and partly by the Cotabato Fault System, a network of mainly NW-SE trending sinistral (left-lateral) strike-slip faults that form the boundary between the Cotabato Arc and the Central Mindanao Volcanic Belt.[3] In 1976, a magnitude 8.1 earthquake and tsunami along the same trench killed 8,000 people.[4]

## Earthquake

[edit]

The focal mechanism and depth corresponded to an earthquake of reverse-faulting at an intermediate depth.[5] On the PHIVOLCS earthquake intensity scale (PEIS), intensity VII (Destructive) was instrumentally recorded in Glan, Sarangani.[2] Intensity VI was reported in General Santos as well as in Polomolok and Koronadal, South Cotabato.[2] At least 120 aftershocks followed, six of which were felt.[6] The largest aftershock struck four days after the initial quake, measuring 5.2 mb according to the USGS[7] or 4.9 Mw according to PHIVOLCS.[8] The tremor was also felt in neighboring Indonesia, measuring intensity V on the Modified Mercalli intensity scale at Naha, IV at Ondong, and III at Bolaang Mongondow, Manado, Bitung, Tomohon and North Minahasa.[9]

## Impact

[edit]

At least 11 people were killed while 730 others were injured,[10] including 450 due to panic.[11] Of the dead, three were from General Santos, four in Glan, Sarangani, and one each from Jose Abad Santos, Davao Occidental and Malapatan, Sarangani.[12][13] Among the dead were a couple killed by a collapsed wall, a woman killed by falling debris at a mall, and an old man killed by a rockfall.[14] The bodies of a mother and a child who were initially reported missing after a landslide[15] were both recovered the next day after the quake.[13] At least 85 people were injured in Glan alone.[16] Many students were injured while escaping in panic from a gymnasium in General Santos. Two people were believed to have died from panic-induced strokes while a third was killed by falling steel. Five people were injured in Koronadal.[17] Ground cracks and landslides occurred in some parts of Sarangani, including Glan.[18][19]

At least 644 houses collapsed; 618 in Soccksargen and 26 more in the Davao Region.[20] Up to 4,248 others were damaged,[20] including 3,942 in Soccksargen, and 306 others in the Davao Region.[21] Sixteen roads and five bridges were also affected.[22] Power outages occurred across 21 areas, all of which were restored.[23] Authorities in Sarangani later estimated that more than 1,300 houses in the towns of Glan, Malapatan, Alabel, and Maasim suffered varying levels of damage.[24] Damage to roads in Sarangani amounted to P21.9 million. The municipal hall of Glan and a school were rendered unsafe for use after sustaining significant damage, while the town's port was also closed after its left wing collapsed, with a 30-meter section of the wharf believed to have sunk. Another jetty and a school covered court were tilted.[25][26]

A landslide blocked a road between Glan and Malapatan, while the sea receded near the coast of Alabel. One building collapsed in Tampakan, two malls were damaged in Koronadal, and nine houses, as well as some schools were damaged in Jose Abad Santos.[27] Sixteen schools as well as some police stations were affected, while 54 fishing boats were damaged.[28] In Davao City, part of a crane and its load broke off from a high-rise condominium that was under construction and fell on top of a house in the Matina district.[29]

## Response

[edit]

Sarangani governor Rogelio Pacquiao suspended face-to-face classes at all levels in the province on 20–21 November to allow inspections on school buildings and imposed work-from-home arrangements in government offices.[28] The mayor of Glan pledged financial assistance of P10,000 to homeowners who suffered partial damage and a larger, undecided amount for those with totally damaged homes.[24] The town was placed under a state of calamity on 21 November.[30]

The Department of Social Welfare and Development vowed to give financial aid to the affected families with the Disaster Response Management Group's ₱1.34 billion food and non-food assistance fund.[31][32] The agency reported 140,579 family food packs that were ready for distribution at local offices in Northern Mindanao, Davao, and Soccsksargen.[33] The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council's response cluster was immediately dispatched to inspect and respond to impacted areas moments after the earthquake.[34]

President Bongbong Marcos, who was on a six-day visit to the United States for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in San Francisco when the earthquake struck, said that he would proceed with his overseas trip unless a necessity arose that only he could respond to, but ordered an immediate response from all available government agencies.[35][36] He later visited General Santos on 23 November to inspect the damage and distribute aid, during which he was accompanied by athlete and former senator Manny Pacquiao, who comes from the region.[26] On 19 November, Vice President Sara Duterte attended a wake for victims of the earthquake in Glan and visited injured patients at the Sarangani Provincial Hospital.[37]

## See also

[edit]

* Philippines portal

* List of earthquakes in 2023
* List of earthquakes in the Philippines

## References

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1. ^ "Mindanao quake death toll rises to 11". ABC CBN News. Archived from the original on 2023-11-22. Retrieved 2023-11-21.
2. ^ a b c "EARTHQUAKE INFORMATION NO. : 4". Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology. 18 November 2023. Archived from the original on 18 November 2023. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
3. ^ "Porphyry Copper Assessment of East and Southeast Asia— Philippines, Taiwan (Republic of China), Republic of Korea (South Korea), and Japan" (PDF). Global Mineral Resource Assessment. United States Geological Survey. 2010. p. 3032\. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2017-04-29. Retrieved 2023-11-18.
4. ^ "Cotabato Trench movement caused M6.8 Davao Occidental quake: Phivolcs". ABS-CBN. Archived from the original on 2023-11-21. Retrieved 2023-11-21.
5. ^ National Earthquake Information Center (17 November 2023). "M 6.7 – 26 km WSW of Burias, Philippines". United States Geological Survey. Archived from the original on 17 November 2023. Retrieved 17 November 2023.
6. ^ "Mindanao earthquake spawns 120 aftershocks". ABS-CBN. 23 November 2023. Retrieved 23 November 2023.
7. ^ National Earthquake Information Center (20 November 2023). "M 5.2 – 16 km SW of Baliton, Philippines". Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology. Archived from the original on 20 November 2023. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
8. ^ "EARTHQUAKE INFORMATION NO. : 2". United States Geological Survey. 20 November 2023. Archived from the original on 20 November 2023. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
9. ^ "Gempa Hari Ini di Mindanao dengan Magnitudo 6,8 Dirasakan hingga Skala V MMI di Naha, Banyak Bangunan Rusak". Kabar Priangan (in Indonesian). 17 November 2023. Archived from the original on 17 November 2023. Retrieved 17 November 2023.
10. ^ "Mindanao quake death toll rises to 11". ABS-CBN. 21 November 2023. Archived from the original on 22 November 2023. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
11. ^ "Philippines earthquake death toll rises". The National Herald. 18 November 2023. Archived from the original on 18 November 2023. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
12. ^ "7 reported dead due to Mindanao quake – NDRRMC". CNN Philippines. 18 November 2023. Archived from the original on 18 November 2023. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
13. ^ a b Datu, Dennis (19 November 2023). "Quake toll rises as bodies of mother, child recovered in Sarangani". ABS-CBN News. Archived from the original on November 21, 2023. Retrieved 19 November 2023.
14. ^ "Philippines earthquake: authorities report deaths from falling debris". The Guardian. Agence France-Presse. 18 November 2023. Archived from the original on 18 November 2023. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
15. ^ "Philippines says at least six killed in Friday's magnitude 6.7 quake". Reuters. 17 November 2023. Archived from the original on 17 November 2023. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
16. ^ Datu, Dennis (19 November 2023). "Mayor of quake-stricken Glan town appeals for help from national government". ABS-CBN News. Archived from the original on 19 November 2023. Retrieved 19 November 2023.
17. ^ Edwin O. Fernandez; Drema Quitayen Bravo (18 November 2023). "UPDATE:PNP, OCD: 7 die, over 300 hurt in Mag 6.9-quake in South Mindanao". NDBC News. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
18. ^ Bosano, Raphael (20 November 2023). "Phivolcs says verifying liquefaction in Glan town following 6.9-magnitude quake". ABS-CBN News. Archived from the original on 22 November 2023. Retrieved 22 November 2023.
19. ^ Untalan, Sherylin (21 November 2023). "Glan, Sarangani placed under state of calamity after Mindanao earthquake". GMA Integrated News. Archived from the original on 21 November 2023. Retrieved 22 November 2023.
20. ^ a b DSWD (23 November 2023). DSWD DROMIC Report #6 on the Mw 6.8 Earthquake Incident in Sarangani, Davao Occidental as of 23 November 2023, 6PM (Report). ReliefWeb. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
21. ^ "SitRep No. 3 for the Magnitude Mw 6.8 Earthquake in Sarangani (Davao Occidental)" (PDF). NDRRMC. 21 November 2023. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
22. ^ "SitRep No. 2 for the Magnitude Mw 6.8 Earthquake in Sarangani (Davao Occidental)" (PDF). NDRRMC. 20 November 2023. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
23. ^ "SitRep No. 1 for the Magnitude Mw 6.8 Earthquake in Sarangani (Davao Occidental)" (PDF). NDRRMC. 19 November 2023. Retrieved 19 November 2023.
24. ^ a b "'Where will we live?' Sarangani quake victims cry for help to rebuild homes". ABS-CBN. 21 November 2023. Archived from the original on 22 November 2023. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
25. ^ "Quake road damage in Sarangani hits P21.9 million". ABS-CBN. 21 November 2023. Archived from the original on 21 November 2023. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
26. ^ a b "Marcos checks on General Santos, urges vigilance for aftershocks". Rappler. 23 November 2023. Archived from the original on 24 November 2023. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
27. ^ Tejano, Ivy (18 November 2023). "PBBM orders SAP to aid quake-hit Davao region". Manila Bulletin. Manila Bulletin. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
28. ^ a b Reyes, Victor (19 November 2023). "Quake death toll now 8; 180 families affected in 2 regions". Malaya. Malaya Business Insight. Archived from the original on 20 November 2023. Retrieved 19 November 2023.
29. ^ Saron, Rhoda Grace (19 November 2023). "Vacate premises". Mindanao Times. Archived from the original on 21 November 2023. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
30. ^ "Glan, Sarangani placed under state of calamity after Mindanao earthquake". GMA. 21 November 2023. Archived from the original on 2023-11-21. Retrieved 2023-11-21.
31. ^ "Victims of magnitude 6.8 quake in Mindanao to get cash aid – DSWD". CNN Philippines. Archived from the original on 2023-11-18. Retrieved 2023-11-18.
32. ^ Untalan, Sherylin (2023-11-18). "NDRRMC vows immediate assistance for Mindanao quake victims". GMA News Online. Archived from the original on 2023-11-18. Retrieved 2023-11-18.
33. ^ Reganit, Jose Cielito (November 17, 2023). "DSWD Mindanao field offices on high alert following strong quake". Philippines News Agency. Archived from the original on 2023-11-17. Retrieved 2023-11-19.
34. ^ "M6.8 Earthquake in Davao Occidental: Philippines Flash Update #1 (17 Nov 2023, 1930 HRS UTC +7) – Philippines". ReliefWeb. 2023-11-17. Archived from the original on 2023-11-18. Retrieved 2023-11-18.
35. ^ Dantes, Charles (2023-11-18). "Marcos orders quick response to Mindanao quake". Manila Standard. Archived from the original on 2023-11-18. Retrieved 2023-11-18.
36. ^ Gutierrez, Pia (November 18, 2023). "Marcos Jr. says no need to cut short US trip after Mindanao quake". ABS-CBN. Retrieved 2023-11-19.
37. ^ Argosino, Faith (November 19, 2023). "VP Duterte visits quake-hit Sarangani; condoles with affected families". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Archived from the original on 2023-11-20. Retrieved 2023-11-21.

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← Earthquakes in 2023 →

January|

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February|

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March|

* Guayas, Ecuador (6.8, Mar 18)
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April|

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* Cundinamarca, Colombia (6.3, Aug 17)

September|

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November|

* Nepal (5.7, Nov 3) †
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December|

* Mindanao (7.6, Dec 2)
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* † indicates earthquake resulting in at least 30 deaths
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Earthquakes in the Philippines

Historical|

* 1628 Camarines
* 1645 Luzon
* 1863 Manila
* 1879 Surigao
* 1880 Southern Luzon
* 1897 Mindanao

20th century|

* 1913 Sulawesi–Mindanao
* 1918 Celebes Sea
* 1948 Lady Caycay
* 1955 Lanao
* 1968 Casiguran
* 1973 Ragay Gulf
* 1976 Moro Gulf
* 1983 Luzon
* 1988 Mindoro
* 1990 Bohol Sea
* 1990 Panay
* 1990 Luzon
* 1992 Mindanao
* 1994 Mindoro
* 1999 Luzon

21st century|

* 2002 Mindanao
* 2010 Mindanao
* 2012 Negros
* 2012 Samar
* 2013 Bohol
* 2017 Surigao
* 2017 Batangas
* 2017 Leyte
* 2019 Luzon
* 2019 Eastern Samar
* July 2019 Cotabato
* 2019 Batanes
* October 2019 Cotabato
* 2019 Davao del Sur
* 2020 Masbate
* 2021 Davao del Sur
* 2021 Davao Oriental
* 2022 Luzon
* November 2023 Mindanao
* December 2023 Mindanao

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