QUẢNG NAM — An earthquake, measuring 2.5 on the Richter scale, hit the districts of Nam Trà My and Bắc Trà My in the central province of Quảng Nam on Wednesday, but no structural damage was reported.

Local residents from the two districts felt their homes shaking in the morning.

This is the third earthquake to have occurred near the Sông Tranh 2 Hydropower Plant in two weeks.

A report from the Earthquake and Tsunami Warning Centre under the Institute of Geophysics, said the quake had a seismic focus at a depth of 8km, near the area of the previous tremors – measuring 3.9 and 3.2 on the Richter scale – on February 27th.

It also said the epicentre of the quake was in the area of Nước Xa Village in Nam Trà My District – 50km from the hydropower plant.

The Hà Nội-based Earthquake and Tsunami Warning Centre has been tracking the quake.

Neighbouring Bắc Trà My District, 40km from Quảng Nam Province’s Tam Kỳ City, has been stricken by over 20 earthquakes and tremors since 2012.

The biggest quake, measuring 4.7 on the Richter scale, struck Bắc Trà My District in 2012, and was the biggest quake in Quảng Nam Province, causing superficial damage to over 100 houses.

At a conference in 2012, experts concluded that the series of tremors occurring in the area were due to seismic activity caused by water stored in the hydropower plant reservoir, and that their magnitude was not greater than the reservoir’s capacity to withstand quakes (of up to 5.5 in magnitude).

Several earthquakes measuring 2.6 to 3.6 on the Richter scale struck mountainous districts of Quế Sơn, Tây Giang, Phước Sơn in 2015. — VNS