Volcanoes, earthquakes, tsunamis: The ‘Ring of Fire’ explained
The Pacific’s “Ring of Fire” is a breeding ground for natural disasters. Here’s a look at the most recent incidents.
At least one person was killed and dozens of buildings were damaged, including a coronavirus quarantine center, after a strong earthquake jolted the central Philippines on Tuesday, according to officials.
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said the 6.6 magnitude quake struck around 8 miles east of San Pedro at a depth of about 6 miles.
“My things at home fell down and my neighbors’ walls cracked and some collapsed,” Rodrigo Gonhuran told Reuters from the town of Cataingan, located near the epicenter.
In Cataingan, officials said a three-story house collapsed as the ground shook.
In this handout photo provided by the Philippine Red Cross, a volunteer takes photos of a damaged structure after a strong earthquake struck in Cataingan, Masbate province, central Philippines on Tuesday Aug. 18, 2020. (Philippine National Red Cross via AP)
One man, a retired police officer pinned in the debris, died as rescuers were looking for other members of his family who were missing.
In this photo provided by the Philippine Red Cross, a toppled house is seen after a quake struck in Cataingan, Masbate province, central Philippines on Tuesday Aug. 18, 2020. (John Mark Lalaguna/Philippine National Red Cross via AP)
More than 40 people were injured by the quake in Masbate province, according to disaster response officials.
The temblor, the strongest earthquake to rattle the Philippines in eight months, damaged roads and buildings, including a sports complex being used as a coronavirus quarantine center.
In these photos provided by the Philippine Red Cross, debris are scattered at a house and a volunteer looks at the cracks on a road after a quake struck in Cataingan, Masbate province, central Philippines. (John Mark Lalaguna/Philippine National Red Cross via AP)
Provincial administrator Rino Revalo told the DZMM radio station that engineers were still checking the damaged sports complex. Patients were moved out of a hospital into tents because of cracks in the building, according to Reuters.
The Philippines has the most coronavirus cases in Southeast Asia, with more than 164,000 confirmed infections and 2,681 deaths as of Tuesday.
Cataingan resident Isagani Libatan told the Associated Press he was on his way to his aunt’s house for breakfast when his motorcycle suddenly swerved as the ground shook.
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“I thought it was my tire but people suddenly streamed out in panic from swaying houses and then we lost power,” Libatan said.
. A powerful and shallow earthquake struck a central Philippine region Tuesday, prompting people to dash out of homes and offices. (AP Photo/Christopher Decamon)
The earthquake was felt in several provinces across the central Visayas region, but no risk of a tsunami was reported.
An injured man is treated after a strong earthquake struck in Cataingan, Masbate province, central Philippines on Tuesday Aug. 18, 2020. (AP Photo/ Christopher Decamon)
The Philippines is located along the volatile "Ring of Fire" seismic fault system that circles the Pacific Ocean.
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This area is the location of most of Earth's subduction zones, where oceanic plates slide under the lighter continental plates.
A map showing the "Ring of Fire," where more than half of the world's active volcanoes above sea level encircle the Pacific Ocean. (USGS)
Earthquakes tend to happen when those plates scrape or subside underneath each other, and when that happens at sea it can spawn tsunamis.
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A magnitude 7.7 quake killed nearly 2,000 people in the northern Philippines in 1990.
The country is also lashed by about 20 typhoons and tropical storms each year, making it one of the world’s most disaster-prone countries.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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