The epicenter of the thrust fault earthquake[6] was approximately 72 kilometres (45 mi) north of Negros Oriental's provincial capital, Dumaguete.

[11] Scale The Philippines lies within the Pacific Ring of Fire, which results in the archipelago experiencing frequent volcanic and seismic activity.

[13] However, according to an Environmental Sciences professor, this fault was already known to private geologists hired by the Negros Occidental government to create a land use map for the province.

The ensuing panic forced many businesses, schools, and offices in Cebu City to close for the day.

[17] The cause of the panic was credited to, anecdotally, have come from someone who was calling out for someone named "Chona Mae", which eventually morphed mistakenly into a cry for "tsunami".

The earthquake also triggered numerous landslides which buried houses and people, including in the areas of Barangay Solongon, La Libertad and Planas, Guihulngan.

[19] More than 100 people were killed in the earthquake, most of whom died as a result of landslides that struck villages in Negros Occidental.

Power plants in Visayas tripped or shut down following the earthquake, although no major damage was sustained in transmission facilities.