Việt Nam reports 63 earthquakes in October, doubling from last month

Việt Nam reported 63 earthquakes with magnitudes ranging from 2.5 to 4.1 in October, almost double the figure of September, the Institute of Geophysics said on Friday.

Sixty out of 63 earthquakes were reported in Kon Plong District in the Central Highlands province of Kon Tum.

October 7 was the day with the highest number of quakes in the area (ten consecutive earthquakes with magnitudes from 2.6 to 3.5).

Three other earthquakes were reported in Nam Trà My District in the central Quảng Nam Province.

Meanwhile, September reported only 36 earthquakes, including 32 quakes in Kon Plong, said the Institute.

The geophysics institute director Nguyễn Xuân Anh said the earthquakes in Kon Plong were stimulated earthquakes which occurred due to the water accumulation of hydroelectric reservoirs, affecting the active fault system below.

He forecast that the earthquakes in Kon Tum Province will continue and affect densely-populated areas and key projects, especially the epicentre.

According to the regulations on earthquake and tsunami prevention and control, upon receiving news of a quake, People's Committees at all levels must notify local people and mobilise local forces to help residents evacuate to a safe place while taking measures to ensure security in the area.

All people in the affected area must proactively evacuate from the dangerous area to ensure safety.

According to the Earthquake and Tsunami Warning Centre, under the Institute of Geophysics, since the beginning of this year there have been 416 small earthquakes nationwide in the provinces of Tum, Hòa Bình, Tuyên Quang, Phú Yên, Quảng Nam, Quảng Ngãi, Yên Bái, Vĩnh Phúc, Thừa Thiên - Huế, Thanh Hóa, Điện Biên, Ninh Bình, Lai Châu, Cao Bằng, Lào Cai and Hà Nội.

Among those, more than 400 earthquakes occurred in Kon Plong District.