A total of 8,381 aftershocks have been recorded since the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that occurred in Maasim, Sarangani, Mindanao on June 8, Philippine state seismologists informed on June 19.
In an update released on June 19, the Philippine Institute of Volcanoes and Seismology (Phivolcs) said that 2,040 aftershocks were recorded on the map, while 90 aftershocks were so strong that they were reportedly perceptible.
Phivolcs said the intensity of the aftershocks ranged from 1.2 to 6.4 degrees.
Phivolcs data shows that aftershock activity has generally decreased since the earthquake occurred, with the number of events recorded daily decreasing from 1,083 in the first monitoring period from June 8 to June 9, to 516 from June 18 to June 19.
However, there were still increased intermittent seismic activity waves, including 884 aftershocks recorded from June 14 to 15.
Previously, Phivolcs said that the aftershocks caused by the strong earthquake could last for weeks, even up to 1 month.
According to the latest report of the Philippine National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) announced on June 19, the death toll was adjusted from 78 on June 18 to 76 after verifying casualty reports. Four people previously recorded as dead in Sarangani have been reclassified as missing, while 2 other deaths have been recorded in South Cotabato.
NDRRMC said that more than 1.45 million people across Mindanao are still affected by the earthquake. The earthquake on June 8 also caused heavy damage to houses and infrastructure. Authorities recorded 74,810 houses damaged, of which more than 13,000 houses were completely destroyed.
