8.0 Magnitude Earthquake To Hit Cebu Philippines: Hoax Text Message Circulates

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The story of an 8.0 magnitude earthquake that will hit Cebu and Bohol Philippines has been circulating through text messages and online. The text message is claiming that the magnitude-8 quake may hit the region soon.

The Cebu provincial government on Sunday issued a statement saying that the message is a hoax. Read the full statement below.

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We are calling all Cebuanos NOT TO BELIEVE in text messages circulating now on an alleged upcoming magnitude 8 earthquake. According to Neil Angelo R. Sanchez, OIC-Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council:

•Earthquakes cannot be predicted as to where and when it will occur. There is no instrument yet that can predict earthquakes or its magnitude.

•We urge everyone to gather official information from agencies like PHIVOLCS and not from any other unofficial sources. Circulating this text message will not help and can even cause more panic.

•IGNORE THIS TEXT. DO NOT PASS IT FORWARD. Let’s just be prepared amidst the ongoing aftershocks.
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Cebu is one of the provinces affected by the magnitude-7.2 quake that hit Central Visayas last October 15.

See also: Philippines Earthquake Today 2013: Damaged Structures (Photos)

Update: The Philippine Institute for Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said Saturday (October 19, 2013), that over 1,900 aftershocks have been recorded so far from the 7.2 magnitude earthquake that struck Bohol province last Tuesday.