Four earthquakes in the magnitude-3.3 to -5 range struck Kon Plong District under Kon Tum Province in the Central Highlands of Vietnam on Sunday, while the most powerful tremor was felt in many localities such as Dak Lak Province, Da Nang City, Quang Nam Province, Binh Dinh Province, and Phu Yen Province, according to the Institute of Geophysics.

Among them, two quakes measuring five and 4.1 on the Richter scale occurred around noon on Sunday, while the two others slightly rattled Kon Tum in the morning.

Nguyen Xuan Anh, head of the Institute of Geophysics, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Sunday that Kon Plong District experienced a magnitude-5 earthquake at 11:35 am at a depth of 8.1 kilometers.

He noted that the quake posed a level-two disaster risk around its epicenter and the surrounding area.

A magnitude-4.1 aftershock, at a depth of 8.3 kilometers, was recorded at 11:17 am in the district.

The Vietnam Earthquake Information and Tsunami Warning Center under the Institute of Geophysics is keeping a close watch on these tremors in the province.

Many residents in Kon Tum, as well as nearby Binh Dinh and Phu Yen Provinces in south-central Vietnam, reported feeling the vibrations from the magnitude-5 earthquake.

Nguyen Hong Phuc, a resident of Quy Nhon City in Binh Dinh Province, recounted that the furniture in his house shook slightly.

“I was sitting on a chair watching TV when the chair rocked. I thought the chair was broken, so I checked it. However, it was fine," Phuc said.

“This is the first time I have experienced shaking like this.”

In Vietnam, tremors with magnitudes ranging from five to 5.9 are assessed as moderate and capable of causing minor to moderate damage.

Meanwhile, quakes with magnitude-4 to -4.9 are seen as small tremors.

Among the residents in Phu Yen Province who experienced the magnitude-5 quake in Kon Tum, Hoang Vu Phuong, 42, said he and his family felt the tremors for about seven seconds around 11:35 am, causing many objects in their house to shake.

Quach Thuy Kieu, a 27-year-old from Buon Ma Thuot City in Dak Lak Province, also witnessed the strong trembling at 11:35 am.

She mentioned that her relatives and friends felt the aftershock as well.

“This is the first time I have experienced shaking like what I’ve seen in films. Beds and other objects in my house shook,” she said, expressing her worry.

Many residents in Quang Nam, Da Nang, and Thua Thien-Hue in central Vietnam quickly ran outside after feeling the tremors.

Several people in Quang Nam Province took to Facebook to express their anxiety.

“I was having lunch on the floor of my house when I felt the suddering for five or ten seconds. I intended to run out of the house,” one Facebook user wrote.

Another user posted, “There has been a quake. Did you feel the tremor?”

Due to the quake, many residents in Da Nang ran outside in panic. They recounted seeing the walls of their houses rocking.

Nguyen Thanh Thuy, a 32-year-old resident of Hai Chau District in Da Nang, said she was working at home at 11:30 a.m. when a bottle of water began to shake.

“I felt the room jiggle, so I quickly left my home. Many of my neighbors hastily ran outside too,” she elaborated.

Nguyen Thi Nhung, who lives in an apartment building on Nguyen Chanh Street in Da Nang, said she rapidly grabbed her child and escaped the building after feeling the quivering.

Meanwhile, Quang Ngai City in Quang Ngai Province recorded strong shaking for the first time on Sunday.

Nhi, a resident of the city, shared that she and many neighbors ran out of their houses in panic due to the vibrations triggered by the strong tremor in Kon Tum.

Do Thanh Vuot, chairman of the People’s Committee of Son Long Commune in Son Tay District, Quang Ngai Province, which borders Kon Tum Province’s Kon Plong District, said the quake produced the most powerful shaking ever experienced in the area.

“Everything rocked, frightening residents in the commune,” he said.

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