On the morning of March 31, three consecutive earthquakes were recorded in Kon Plong District, Kon Tum Province. According to the Earthquake and Tsunami Warning Center, the tremors did not cause any damage.

Speaking with VietNamNet, Dr. Nguyen Xuan Anh, Director of the Earthquake and Tsunami Warning Center under the Institute of Geophysics, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, confirmed that the first quake occurred at 4:08 a.m. with a magnitude of 3.1. Just two minutes later, a second quake measuring 3.0 struck. The third earthquake occurred at 4:46 a.m. and registered a magnitude of 2.6.

All three quakes originated at a depth of approximately 8.1 kilometers. Due to their low magnitude, they were unlikely to cause damage.

Dr. Anh explained that Kon Tum lies within a weak seismic zone influenced by induced seismic activity. The region's maximum expected ground shaking does not exceed magnitude 5.5.

According to monitoring data, the earthquakes were induced by the presence of nearby hydropower reservoirs. The pressure exerted on the earth’s crust from these reservoirs can lead to fault slippage, triggering earthquakes.

A day earlier, on March 30 at 4:38 p.m., another quake occurred in Kon Plong District with a magnitude of 3.3 and a focal depth of approximately 8.2 kilometers.

All of the recent earthquakes were classified as level 0 on the disaster risk scale and caused no casualties or property damage.

Since 2021, the area has experienced over 200 recorded earthquakes. The most significant event occurred in August 2022, measuring 4.7 on the Richter scale. That tremor was strong enough to be felt in neighboring localities.

Vu Diep - Tran Hoan