3.4 quake hits Southern Leyte

MANILA, Philippines - A magnitude 3.4 earthquake struck Southern Leyte early yesterday but authorities said there were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) recorded the tremor at 1:19 a.m. with its epicenter traced at 12 kilometers northwest of Saint Bernard, where it was felt at Intensity 2.

Phivolcs describes an Intensity 2 quake as “slightly felt.”

“It is felt by few individuals at rest indoors and hanging objects swing slightly,” it said.

Southern Leyte was also among the provinces placed under signal no. 2 by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration yesterday due to Tropical Storm Basyang.

On Feb. 17, 2006, over a thousand residents of Barangay Guinsaugon in Saint Bernard town were killed in a massive landslide triggered by a magnitude 2.6 quake, which was preceded by days of heavy rains.