Bangued residents stay in plaza as aftershocks feared

Many residents in Abra's capital Bangued evacuated from their homes on Wednesday after a magnitude 7.0 earthquake jolted the province and other parts of Luzon.

According to Ivy Hernando’s report on “24 Oras,” over 200 individuals took shelter at the city's plaza for fear of aftershocks.

Mayor Mila Valera said the strong tremors caused damage to the municipality’s roads, three bridges, eight government facilities, and seven commercial buildings. Three houses were totally damaged while 36 were partially damaged.

One casualty was reported from the incident: a 23-year-old female who was struck by a portion of her house when it collapsed.

Valera asked her constituents to empty all establishments. She likewise ordered the closure of roads leading to the town’s center as well as control over gasoline supplies.

“Wala kayong pagkain kasi all the establishments are closed. Ang binibigay na lang namin sa kanila, kasi yun ang available na pwede naming nakuha, are biscuits and water na,” the mayor said.

(There are no food supplies because all establishments are closed. We provide them with biscuits and water because that’s what is available right now.)

“As of now, nagho-hoarding ng pagkain ang mga tao eh. Kaya pina-close namin ang mga establishments muna. Kasi nagho-hoarding na sila. Pati gasolina pina-control namin para baka matagalan tayo na mawalan tayo ng supply of the gasoline,” she added.

(As of now, some people are hoarding food, that's why we ordered the closure of establishments. Even gasoline supplies because  if this situation may last longer than we expected, we won’t have supply.)

According to the report, the Bangued local government had already installed 25 modular tents to serve as temporary houses for the evacuees.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), however, said the tents might be inadequate as more families are expected to troop inside the evacuation center with their plan to pick up other victims who remain at their respective houses.

Minimum health standards including wearing masks and social distancing are also being implemented inside the evacuation center, the report added.

The GMA Kapuso Foundation, for its part, is on its way to providing relief assistance to earthquake victims. — Sundy Locus/BM, GMA News