9th fatality from Davao quake; 5.2 tremor hits Samar

THE National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) yesterday reported an additional fatality from last Friday’s magnitude 6.8 earthquake in Davao Occidental, bringing the death toll to nine.

The NDRRMC said the reported deaths are still subject to validation.

The council also said the affected population increased to 12,885 individuals from just 1,509 individuals last Sunday.

Meanwhile, a magnitude 5.2 earthquake was recorded in Samar yesterday. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said it is not expecting damage from the quake that occurred at 12:57 p.m. Its epicenter was some 15 km southeast of Calbiga town in Samar.

NDRRMC spokesman Edgar Posadas said the additional fatality from last Friday’s earthquake was recorded in Sarangani province which has now five deaths. The three other fatalities were in South Cotabato, and one in Davao Occidental.

Jorie Mae Balmediano, information officer of the Office of Civil Defense in Soccsksargen region, said eight died in the region which includes Sarangani and South Cotabato provinces.

“As of now, we are following up, for confirmation, an additional death. We are still confirming if it’s related to the earthquake,” said Balmediano.

Posadas said the number of people injured in the quake also rose yesterday to 15, from 11 the previous day. A further increase is expected as data come in, he said.

On the number of affected as of yesterday, there were 2,489 families or 12,885 individuals, from just 180 families or 1,509 individuals as of last Monday.

The affected population are from 43 barangays in Soccsksargen and Davao regions, said Posadas.

The NDRRMC, in a situational report, said almost all of the affected individuals are from Soccsksargen with 2,370 families or 12,375 individuals (1,758 families or 9,145 individuals in South Cotabato and 612 families or 3,230 individuals in Sarangani).

The NDRRMC said 13 roads, five bridges, 118 infrastructure units, and 826 houses were damaged in the two regions. Three of the damaged roads, all in Soccsksargen, remain not passable as of yesterday.

Phivolcs said it has recorded 106 aftershocks from the quake as of 4 p.m. yesterday. The