#eartthquake #Philippines #stronges
We all know that the Philippines is located along the Pacific Ring of Fire, which is the reason why our country is prone to seismic and volcanic activity.
Now, the country is preparing for “The Big One”, a magnitude 7.2 magnitude earthquake from the West Valley Fault which is expected to hit Metro Manila and Quezon City. Thus, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) in coordination with the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) and other government agencies has been conducting series of earthquake drills. This is to prepare the people for the estimated impacts projected in the 2004 Metro Manila Earthquake Impact Reduction Study (MMEIRS). According to MMEIRS, “The Big One” could destroy about 40% of residential buildings and damage 35 percent of public buildings. It could also result to 34,000 casualties, 114,000 individuals will be seriously injured, and the possible fire incidents that would follow could add another 18,000 deaths. With the drills and information campaigns conducted, the authorities are hoping that those numbers would be lessened.
Actually, there had been many stronger earthquakes which hit the Philippines since 1600s but they caused lesser damage to properties. Casualties were also fewer because the cities then weren’t so densely populated unlike today. And as we know, Manila is the most densely populated city in the Philippines, if a magnitude 7.2 earthquake hits, there would surely be thousands of casualties and billions of damages on properties and infrastructures.
The following are top 10 strongest earthquakes in the Philippines that caused major destructions and casualties:
