Tuaran: A family of five faced an anxious moment when a strong earthquake measuring 6.6 on the Richter scale struck Mindanao in the Southern Philippines, shaking their home at Kampung Bongol, Tamparuli, Thursday.
The house where Rembini Suanti, 45, and her family lived suffered numerous cracks in the 10.20am incident, but fortunately, none of them were injured.
At the time of the incident, Rembini was farming with his child and rushed into the house to check on three other family members.
“At that time, the wind was very strong, making it quite difficult for us to confirm whether it was an earthquake or not.
“As soon as the wind started to die down, we felt the shaking, which gradually subsided and we breathed a sigh of relief.
“Afterward, I went outside to inspect the cracks on the walls of the house. Previously, it had only suffered minor cracks from the 2018 earthquake, but now, there are larger cracks and many new ones,” Rembini said.
She also said the location of their house, which is located on the hillside, has become familiar with earthquakes.
“However, the house that is getting more and more cracks and I’m worried for the safety of my family, especially the younger ones,” Rembini said.
Earlier, the Department of Meteorology Malaysia issued a statement on Thursday stating that the epicentre of the earthquake at 10.13am was located 154km southeast of Isabela City, Philippines at coordinates 6.1 degrees North and 123.3 East with a depth of 632km.
