Manila: Scientists found a new and unidentified fault-line found in two provinces in the southern Philippines, after a total of 40 earthquakes, 33 of them in the southern Philippines occurred from September 20 to 22, sources said, adding that 85 houses were destroyed in the incidents in south.

The new fault line was identified between Luayon village in Makilala North Cotabato and Colombio in Sultan Kudarat, Renato Solidum, chief of Philippuine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), told Gulf News.

“This fault line moved for the first time and was identified during the series of 40 earthquakes that were recorded on September 20, 21, and 22. It will be studied further,” said Solidum, adding the new fault line’s movement did not result in cracking of the ground.

Meanwhile, some 85 houses were damaged and several people were injured in the towns and villages that were hit by earthquakes in the southern Philippines from September 20 to 21, said Undersecretary Alexander Pama, head of the National Disaster Risk reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).

Three other mild quakes, two in the southern Philippines and one in central Philippines occurred with magnitudes 2.1, 2, 2.6 from 11:41 in the morning and 4:07 in the afternoon of September 22, explained Hermes Daquipa, field worker of Phivolcs.

These quakes did not destroy houses, as it happened on September 20 and 21, said Daquipa.

A total of 10 quakes, eight in the southern Philippines, one in northern Luzon and one in Bicol southern Luzon occurred on September 21. Six of them occurred with magnitudes 3.1, 2.9. 3.4. 3.1. 3.7, and 3.2, several kilometres away west of Kidapawan, North Cotabato, between 6:82 in the morning and 6:85 in the evening of September 21, said Daquipa.

A total of 27 quakes occurred on September 20, four of them in central Philippines and 23 in the southern Philippines, Daquipa said. The strongest of these quakes was a 5.2 magnitude which occurred five kilometre west of Kidapawan, at 12:26 past noon of September 20. Another 4.7 magnitude quake occurred at 14 kilometre south of Kidapawan at 7:09 in the morning of the same day. Another 4.6 magnitude temblor occurred at 28 kilometre east of Makilala, North Cotabato at 6:91 in the morning of the same day, And a 4. magnitude quake hit 17 kilometre east of Kidapawan at 6:88 in the evening of the same day, records showed,

A deadly earthquake measuring 7.9 in magnitude triggered a tsunami and killed 7,000 between Cotabato City and Pagadian City in the southern Philippines on August 16, 1976.

The Philippines is part of Asia-Pacific’s ‘Ring of Fire’ where earthquakes always occur.