Manila: A wave of seismic activity was recorded across parts of Asia on Wednesday, with the strongest shock - a magnitude 6.7 earthquake - hitting off Davao Oriental province in the southern Philippines Sea. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said the tremor occurred at 11:02 a.m. local time at a depth of 42 km, with its epicentre about 47 km from the coastal town of Manay. Vibrations were felt across the island, and authorities warned that aftershocks and structural damage were possible, though police and disaster officials reported no immediate casualties.
Earlier in the day, smaller earthquakes were detected in South and Central Asia. The National Centre for Seismology noted a magnitude 3.6 quake in Afghanistan at 01:34 IST at a depth of 110 km. Around the same time, Tajikistan experienced a magnitude 4.5 tremor at 00:47 IST, originating deep at 170 km.
Bhutan also reported a shallow magnitude 3.8 earthquake at 03:17 a.m. IST at a depth of only 10 km. Experts say shallow quakes tend to be more dangerous because seismic waves reach the surface with greater intensity. Located in the young Himalayan mountain range, Bhutan remains one of the world's most seismically active regions and is vulnerable to varied natural hazards.
Disaster response teams across the affected countries are monitoring the situation and assessing any delayed impact from the day's tremors. (ANI/IANS)
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