The South receives a magnitude 5.5 earthquake

At 14:55 today, earthquakes were reported in Ho Chi Minh City, Vung Tau, Binh Thuan, and Ninh Thuan, lasting approximately five seconds. According to local residents, this tremor was stronger than the one that occurred at 00:15 the same day.

Unlike the earthquake that happened last night, this time, almost all areas in Ho Chi Minh City felt the shaking. Ms. Thanh Hang, an employee at FPT Corporation on Vo Van Tan Street, District 3, recounted that while sitting in her office, her desk suddenly shook violently, and her computer seemed to jump off the table. Numerous office workers from nearby high-rise buildings rushed into the streets, as they felt the tremors most acutely being on upper floors.

Doctors and nurses at Columbia Hospital, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City ran outside when the earthquake struck at 14:55.

Mr. Bui Quoc Bao, a stage director, also shared with reporters that he was writing at his home on Cong Quynh Street, District 1, when he felt the ground shake beneath him. He quickly ran outside to find many residents gathering in panic and discussing the situation. One driver mentioned that while driving on Pasteur Street, District 1, he suddenly felt his car drop… Many other areas such as Tan Binh, Binh Tan, Phu Nhuan, District 9, and District 2 in Ho Chi Minh City also reported similar tremors at the same time.

In Vung Tau City, Ms. Pham Thi Hanh, residing on Tu Xuong Street, reported that she felt the tremors with an intensity similar to that at 00:15 this morning. Thirty minutes after the earthquake, many residents in Ward 4 were still discussing the incident with concern. Office workers at Schlumberger (Oil Services Company), 65A April 30th Street, Vung Tau City, reported that besides feeling the shaking, several tiles in front of their office were shifted and cracked.

In Phan Thiet City, Binh Thuan Province, Ms. Nguyen Thi Hang recounted that around 15:00, while attending a meeting at the Provincial Livestock Breeding Center, she felt strong shaking that knocked over a table fan in the corner of the room. In Phan Rang Town, Ninh Thuan Province, some students studying at the Continuing Education Center felt their desks shaking for several seconds. Other students on the upper floors quickly rushed downstairs.

Similarly, Ms. Bui Kim Phuong, residing at 78 Phan Dinh Phung Street, Ward 2, Da Lat City, Lam Dong Province, reported that around 15:00, she was at home and felt a slight shaking that lasted 10 seconds. In Bao Loc Town, strong tremors caused a family’s cabinet to topple over.

The latest information from the Institute of Geophysics at 16:40 indicated that measurements from Vietnam’s monitoring stations showed the earthquake’s epicenter at 9.72 degrees North, 108.22 degrees East, with a magnitude of 5.5 on the Richter scale. Thus, this was the second earthquake to occur today and not merely an aftershock.

According to the Institute of Geophysics, the precise coordinates of the earthquake that occurred at 00:15 were 9.96 degrees North and 108.17 degrees East, with a magnitude of 5.1 on the Richter scale. The depth of the earthquakes that occurred today has not yet been determined.

Evaluating the recent earthquake, Professor Le Minh Triet from the Vietnam Institute of Science and Technology stated that some districts in Ho Chi Minh City, such as Binh Chanh and Binh Tan, experienced tremors of level 6, based on phenomena such as fallen chairs and shattered glass doors during the shaking. Areas that experienced lighter shaking likely registered levels of 3, 4, or a maximum of 5. “This is the first time southern provinces have been affected by widespread earthquake tremors of level 6,” he noted.

The earthquake at 00:15 this morning in the southern region was recorded with a magnitude of 5.1 on the Richter scale by monitoring stations. Le Tu Son, head of Earthquake Observation Department 1 at the Institute of Geophysics, explained that all earthquake monitoring stations in Vietnam and worldwide recorded the event, but each station reported different magnitudes. Some reported 4.9, while others indicated only 4.0 on the Richter scale. He clarified that this discrepancy arises from different measurement methods used by each country. After employing scientific cross-referencing, the Institute of Geophysics officially confirmed the magnitude of this earthquake as 5.1 on the Richter scale.

By early afternoon, according to information from global monitoring stations, the Institute of Geophysics concluded preliminarily: the earthquake’s coordinates were at 10 degrees North, 108 degrees East, offshore in the South China Sea, 100 km from Vung Tau’s coastline, located in the intersection of the Nam Con Son, Thuan Hai – Minh Hai – Ca Mau fault zones, and the 110-degree fault offshore in the South China Sea.

Employees at Diamond Plaza shopping center hurriedly evacuated after the tremors.

This earthquake had a widespread impact on the Southern Central provinces and Southeast region, marking the highest intensity recorded in earthquakes that have occurred in the area to date. However, the likelihood of a tsunami occurring in the South China Sea is low due to the geographical characteristics of the seafloor.

Professor Le Minh Triet, Chairman of the Interdisciplinary Scientific Council at the Vietnam Institute of Science and Technology, confirmed that in the event of an earthquake in the South China Sea, a tsunami is unlikely. “The conditions for a tsunami to occur require an earthquake magnitude over 6 on the Richter scale along with specific seafloor characteristics. The strongest earthquakes recorded in the area to date only reached 5.2 on the Richter scale, and the maximum is estimated at around 5.5, making a tsunami in the South China Sea improbable,” he explained.

Compared to the earthquake that occurred in August, many residents noted that although there were fewer aftershocks this time, the intensity was greater. Mr. Tran Thanh Binh, a resident of Phan Dang Luu apartment complex in Phu Nhuan District, stated that his family lives on the ground floor but clearly felt the aftershocks. “The ground shook as if a heavy truck was passing by, even though my house is over 100 meters from the main road,” Mr. Binh said. Panic also ensued among residents of Ngo Tat To apartment complex in Binh Thanh District due to the strong aftershocks affecting the area.

This is the third time this year that earthquakes have occurred in southern provinces, with seismic waves reaching Ho Chi Minh City, following two earthquakes in August and on October 18.

Why have there been consecutive earthquakes in this region recently, while the term was relatively unfamiliar to southern residents in previous years? In response to this question, Professor Le Minh Triet indicated that the southern fault zones might be returning to an active cycle.

“However, I cannot assert this as earthquake studies in the south have only recently begun and the data is still limited, so we do not have enough information to confirm the cycle process,” he said. Nguyen Ngoc Thuy, Director of the Institute of Geophysics, also stated that the first factor scientists consider is the fault zones entering a reactivation cycle. “But to confirm this requires scientific research projects, which current funding does not allow,” Mr. Thuy explained.

Looking back at the three earthquakes that have occurred in the past four months and the seismic waves affecting Ho Chi Minh City, Mr. Triet believes that the tremors experienced were below a magnitude of 5 (the earthquake level is assessed based on the observable damage on the surface). “A level 5 earthquake would cause stronger tremors, which would be felt by people indoors, those walking outside, or even those sleeping. Pets can also sense it beforehand, and earthquakes of this magnitude could cause the collapse of poorly constructed buildings,” Mr. Triet remarked. A level 6 earthquake would cause significant damage to the area, including fallen trees, collapsed buildings, and ground fissures. However, Mr. Triet suggests that, “Based on the recorded earthquakes in Southern Vietnam’s history, as well as the earthquake zoning maps of Vietnam and the world, it is also unlikely for earthquakes above level 5 to occur in the southern fault zones.”

Mr. Le Tu Son also emphasized that there may be an ongoing series of earthquakes in the southern fault zones, with tremors affecting the provinces in the region. “This is a phenomenon of low-intensity earthquakes occurring continuously over a period that could last from a few months to a year, after which it stops. This type of earthquake is not a cause for concern as the energy dissipates gradually, making it unlikely to have strong impacts, unlike the ‘silent’ earthquakes that occur suddenly with great intensity, as seen recently in Pakistan,” Mr. Son stressed. He also noted that, although Vietnam cannot predict earthquakes, it is estimated that more earthquakes of similar intensity to the three recent ones may continue to occur in the southern fault zones.

Reporter Team