6 reported dead, 136 hurt due to Abra quake —NDRRMC

The number of reported fatalities due to the magnitude 7 earthquake that hit Abra on July 27 increased to six, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said Friday.

In its 6 a.m. report, the NDRRMC said one fatality was reported from Ilocos Region while five were reported and eventually confirmed in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR).

The NDRRMC said four people were reported missing in CAR and 136 were injured in Ilocos, Cagayan, and Cordillera due to the earthquake.

A total of 79,260 people or 19,486 families in 246 barangays in Ilocos and CAR were affected by the earthquake, the NDRRMC said.

It added that around 5,819 individuals or 1,622 families were staying inside 26 evacuation centers, while 1,512 persons or 360 families were staying outside evacuation centers.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. went to Abra on Thursday where he ordered concerned national and local officials to maximize government assets for search, rescue and relief operations in affected areas.

"You plan everything together," Marcos told the officials during a situation briefing.

The quake occurred at 8:43 a.m. on July 27 and was located at 17.64°N, 120.63°E - 003 km N 45° W of Tayum in Abra. It was felt strongly in many areas in Luzon, including in Metro Manila.

Damage

According to the NDRRMC, a total of 1,583 homes were damaged by the quake — 1,535 partially and 48 totally — in Ilocos and CAR.

The NDRRMC also said around P48.3 million worth of damage has been reported in Ilocos, Cagayan, and CAR.

The National Irrigation Administration reported P4.5 million worth of damage, the NDRRMC said, while the Department of Agriculture reported over P3.8 million worth of damage in CAR.

“Tuloy din po ang effort para mabigyan ng costing itong mga nasirang heritage structures dyan po sa Vigan,” NDRRMC spokesperson Mark Timbal said in an interview on GMA News’ Unang Balita.

(The effort to provide the cost of the damage to heritage structures in Vigan is ongoing.)

Three collapsed structures, three falling incidents, and two landslides were reported in Ilocos and Cordillera.

Eleven roads are still not passable, while 79 roads and seven bridges that were affected by the earthquake are now passable in Ilocos, Cagayan, and CAR.

Power, water

Power in 38 cities and municipalities has been restored, the NDRRMC said. One area experienced water supply interruption which has yet to be restored, it added.

Around 94 classes and 183 work schedules were canceled in Ilocos, Cagayan, and CAR due to the earthquake.

So far, assistance worth P396,360 has been provided to the victims in CAR, according to the NDRRMC.

Interviewed on GMA News' Unang Balita, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Assistant Secretary Romel Lopez said 10,000 food packs were delivered to victims in Ilocos and Cordillera on Thursday.

Around 5,000 food packs are set to be delivered on Friday, he added.

At a public briefing, Timbal said 19 search and rescue teams from different security agencies have been deployed to help the earthquake victims. An additional 18 teams are on standby, he added.

Department of National Defense spokesperson Director Arsenio Andolong said nearly 200 troops and reservists were also deployed to assist affected families and help clearing roads.

Engineering and construction teams from the Armed Forces of the Philippines also joined the response to the victims, he added.

The Philippines is regularly rocked by quakes due to its location on the Pacific "Ring of Fire," an arc of intense seismic activity that stretches from Japan through Southeast Asia and across the Pacific basin.

Wednesday's quake was the strongest recorded in the Philippines in years. —KBK/RSJ/AOL, GMA News