Kon Plông District has recorded 12 earthquakes since early May. — VNA/VNS Photo

KON TUM — Two consecutive mild earthquakes hit the Central Highlands province of Kon Tum on Wednesday evening.

One earthquake with a magnitude of 3.3 was felt at about 9.06pm while the second one at a magnitude of 4.0 was reported at 9.30pm in Kon Plông District.

Both did not pose serious risks, according to the Earthquake Information and Tsunami Warning Centre under the Institute of Geophysics.

Since early May, Kon Plông District has suffered 12 earthquakes.

On Tuesday two consecutive earthquakes with magnitudes of 3.0 and 3.7 were also reported.

Hundreds of earthquakes with magnitudes ranging from 2.4 to 4.7 have been recorded in the district since 2021.

The earthquake with the biggest scale was the one with a magnitude of 4.7 on the afternoon of August 23, 2022, followed by another one measuring 4.5 at noon on April 18, 2022.

Nguyễn Xuân Anh, head of the Institute of Geophysics, said since June 2021, the institute has sent experts to the district to install monitoring stations, learn the causes and give warnings against risky geological phenomena.

Six earthquake monitoring and warning stations have been set up at Thượng Kon Tum hydropower plant.

According to experts, earthquakes are occurring more frequently with higher intensity in Kon Plông District.

Although they have not resulted in casualties or property damage, the tremors have affected local people.

Kon Tum Province and Kon Plông District in particular belong to a small fault zone.

Previous studies have shown that earthquakes in this area have a magnitude of no more than 5.0.

The Institute of Geophysics has regularly informed local authorities and residents about the earthquakes.

Anh said experts need more time to have accurate conclusions on the causes of earthquakes.

The institute's experts will continue to monitor and process earthquake data in Kon Plông District, he said.

He advised authorities and residents to pay attention to seismic resistance factors in construction. Local authorities must disseminate information and methods on earthquake prevention and damage reduction to the public.

Upon receiving earthquake and tsunami warnings, residents living in the affected areas must be relocated. After the earthquakes and tsunami, authorities must mobilise available resources to rescue victims and report to higher authorities for further solutions to minimise damage, he said. — VNS