An earthquake magnitude 6.7 strikes near Butuan, Libertad, Surigao, Mariano, Bayugan, Cabadbaran, Tandag, Buenavista, Maasin, Philippines. The temblor was picked up at 22:03:49/10:03 pm (local time epicenter) at a depth of 10 km (6 miles). A tsunami warning has been issued. 😱
A magnitude 6.7 earthquake struck near Surigao City late Friday night, leaving some people dead and dozens more injured. Some buildings collapsed while several roads were damaged.
CAAP has also ordered the closure of the Surigao City airport due to damaged runway.
A long crack runs end to end of the Port of Surigao passenger terminal. People say it looks "like a fault line."
Photo by Chiara Zambrano, ABS-CBN News
The Anao-aon Bridge in San Francisco, Surigao del Norte split into three sections after the earthquake.
Photo by Annette Villases
Parts of Parkway Hotel in Surigao City collapsed due to the earthquake.
Photo by Chiara Zambrano, ABS-CBN News
Walls and windows of several establishments in Surigao collapsed after the quake.
Photo by Lyndon Cubillan, Bayan Patroller
Facade of Surigao State College of Technology collapsed after the magnitude 6.7 earthquake Friday night.
Photo by Richmond Hinayon, ABS-CBN News
Parts of Parkway Hotel in Surigao City collapsed due to the earthquake.
Photo by Chiara Zambrano, ABS-CBN News
Kiyoshi Wadatsumi, a scientist who studies earthquakes at the nonprofit organization e-PISCO, told the paper, * “Deep-sea fish living near the sea bottom are more sensitive to the movements of active faults than those near the surface of the sea.” *
Now, some are claiming that oarfish washing ashore is a sign that an earthquake will soon follow. Oarfish is found in Masao Beach, Butuan City in January 19,2017 (Illustrates the Pictures Below) .Shortly before the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami struck Japan, about 20 oarfish stranded themselves on beaches in the area, Mark Benfield, a researcher at Louisiana State University, told LiveScience in an earlier interview.
The oarfish is known in Japan as ryugu no tsukai or "messenger from the sea god's palace," according to the Japan Times. Dozens of the deep-sea denizens were discovered by Japanese fishermen around the time a powerful 8.8-magnitude earthquake struck Chile in March 2010.
Picture taken at Butuan City: January 19,2017
Picture taken at Butuan City: January 19,2017
Picture taken at Butuan City: January 19,2017
My Conclusion:
The oarfish thing cannot be a SURE sign of tonight's earthquake.
Butuan Bay is on a tectonic block. The closest undersea fault is near Surigao, which runs inland a few kilometers from the bay. Plus, the epicenter of tonight's earthquake is off-coast Surigao.
If oarfishes can detect tiny chemical changes or resonance due to tectonic movements, then they would've been caught in Surigao too, and more frequently. If it was indeed through resonance, then such fishes would also be caught on the Tubay coast, seeing that the same fault that caused tonight's earthquake also runs through Tubay, Cabadbaran, Butuan and southward. A clear connection between the oarfishes found near Butuan and Surigao must be established too before we can call them connected.
Let us be skeptical. Overall, no definite scientific proof exists that declares oarfishes to be a reliable predictor of earthquakes. Let's be open to new evidence, but until new evidence is found, let's take new incidents with a Carthage's worth of salt. Correct me if I'm wrong but ensure that you have clear evidence when you do.
Sources:
www.phivolcs.dost.gov.ph
ABS-CBN News (Phil.)
CNN Phil.