Two earthquakes hit Hawaii Island, Mauna Loa volcano unrest continues; here's all you need to know

On Friday morning, a 5.0-magnitude earthquake shook Hawaii Island, inflicting modest property damage in certain locations and initiating a series of aftershocks that experts fear could last for days.

According to the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, the largest quake occurred only 24 seconds after a 4.6-magnitude quake. Both were located south of Pahala, near the southeastern face of Mauna Loa, with the bigger one being 4.6 miles deep. The severe tremors were felt by hundreds of individuals as far away as Oahu.

Authorities in Pahala claimed little damage. According to Talmadge Magno, head of Hawaii County Civil Defense, a portion of the ceiling of Pahala's Herkes Gym collapsed, and debris fell onto Highway 11.



He stated that "it shook rather strongly, to the point where we're discovering some damage to both public and private infrastructure."Duane Santiago, a Mizuno Superette employee in Pahala, said he heard the earthquake approaching and then everything started shaking, so he had to hang on. He had to hold up the walls where objects were being thrown from the food shelves. After the power went out in the region, the store was powered by a generator.

According to Laurie, an employee, the power went off, the store was closed due to a lot of damaged goods that fell off the shelves.

FAQ

What is Mauna Loa?
Mauna Loa is one of five volcanoes that make up the Hawaiian island in the US state of Hawaii in the Pacific Ocean.

Where is Hawaii Island?
The Big Island (formally known as Hawaii) is the biggest in the Hawaiian archipelago of the United States in the Central Pacific.