823 aftershocks recorded nearly 24 hours after deadly Bohol quake

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) has recorded 823 aftershocks nearly 24 hours following the deadly earthquake that hit Bohol province on Tuesday.

At a televised press briefing on Wednesday, Defense Undersecretary Eduardo del Rosario said the aftershocks recorded were as of 8 a.m. He said the tremors were not destructive and not all were felt.

"Hindi po masyadong alarming because normal ang afteshocks after a major earthquake," said Del Rosario, who is also the executive director of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).

At 8:12 a.m. Tuesday, a magnitude-7.2 earthquake hit Central Visayas with an epicenter traced at Carmen town, Bohol province.

Phivolcs executive director Renato Solidum said the major earthquake was caused by the vertical movement of the East Bohol Fault.

He said that the number or frequency of aftershocks will "diminish in time" but may continue for a week.

The strongest aftershocks measured at magnitude 4.8 quake that rattled Tagbilaran City at least three times after the major tremor on Tuesday morning.

More than a hundred people have been killed and injured after the earthquake damaged several structures in Bohol and nearby areas.