M6.7 Earthquake 32 km SW of Kablalan, Philippines — November 17, 2023
2023-11-17 08:14:10 UTC (2023-11-17) · approx. 4:14 PM UTC+8 local
Felt by 215 people across surrounding communities. Maximum shaking intensity MMI 8.1 (violent).
On November 17, 2023 at 08:14 UTC, a magnitude 6.7 shallow crustal earthquake struck 32 km SW of Kablalan, Philippines, at a depth of 52.0 km and coordinates 5.5627°, 125.0013°. The earthquake was reported felt by 215 peopleacross surrounding communities, with a maximum shaking intensity of Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) 8.1 (violent). The USGS PAGER system issued a yellow alert level for this event, indicating local impact possible. This earthquake was detected by 244 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 876, making it one of the more significant events of the week. The nearest populated place is Tinoto (population 3,724).
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 6.7 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 169 kilotons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 25 km — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
The epicenter is located in Philippines, a region characterized by the Manila Trench and Philippine Trench subduction systems, where the Philippine Sea Plate overrides the Eurasian Plate. The nearest mapped fault system is the Philippine Fault. View all earthquakes in Philippines.
Learn more: Magnitude scale · Aftershock sequences
Nearest Populated Places
What the Shaking Felt Like
At MMI 8.1 (violent), people in the most strongly affected areas would have experienced: Severe shaking causing considerable damage. Buildings may shift off foundations. Walls crack and may partially collapse. Heavy furniture overturned.
ShakeMap — predicted shaking intensity
Modeled ground-motion intensity contoured on the Modified Mercalli scale (MMI). Computed by the USGS from the moment-tensor solution and regional ground-motion prediction equations.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey ShakeMap. View interactive ShakeMap on USGS
Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking
Aggregated felt-report intensity from 215 citizen responses to the USGS Did You Feel It? system. Each colored zone represents the average MMI from reports in that area.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey Did You Feel It?. View on USGS · submit your own report
Population exposure (USGS PAGER)
Estimated population that experienced each level of shaking. Based on the USGS PAGER rapid impact assessment, which combines ShakeMap output with global population grids.
| Shaking intensity (MMI) | Description | Population exposed |
|---|---|---|
| MMI 4 | light | 5,894,000 |
| MMI 5 | moderate | 2,177,949 |
| MMI 6 | strong | 1,139,635 |
| MMI 7 | very strong | 1,055,673 |
| MMI 8 | severe | 188,936 |
Earthquake Details
125.0013°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 6.7 earthquake near Kablalan, Philippines?
The magnitude 6.7 earthquake that struck 32 km SW of Kablalan, Philippines on November 17, 2023 at 08:14 UTC had a depth of 52.0 km. It was felt by 215 people with maximum shaking intensity of MMI 8.1 (violent). For context, this was a strong earthquake capable of causing significant damage.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 5.5627°, 125.0013°, which is 32 km SW of Kablalan, Philippines. The nearest populated place is Tinoto (population 3,724). View all earthquakes in Philippines.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 6.7 earthquakes can continue for weeks to months and gradually diminish over time.
Has Philippines had earthquakes this big before?
The largest recorded earthquake in Philippines was the M8.0 Mindanao earthquake of August 17, 1976. Today's magnitude 6.7 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000lp12). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2023, November 17, 2023). M6.7 Earthquake 32 km SW of Kablalan, Philippines — November 17, 2023. Retrieved September 26, 2025 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000lp12/