Surigao del Sur magnitude 7.4 earthquake causes damage to houses, infra

Several houses and infrastructure in Mindanao sustained damage following the magnitude 7.4 earthquake that jolted Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur on Saturday evening.

In Hinatuan, three houses were totally damaged and one was partially damaged, based on the initial information that was received by its Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO).

“So far, wala namang casualties, pero merong mga damaged na properties. Usually dito mga residential houses galing sa mga barangay namin,” Jerome Ramirez of Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur MDRRMO said in a Super Radyo dzBB interview.

(So far, there are no casualties, but there are damaged properties. Usually these are the residential houses from our barangays.)

Ramirez said that the conduct of damage assessment is still ongoing to determine the integrity of the buildings and other infrastructure in the municipality.

He said there was also power interruption in Hinatuan during the powerful earthquake, but it was restored shortly after.

Some residents evacuated but there were those who already returned to their houses after the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) lifted the tsunami warning, Ramirez said.

The strong earthquake earlier caused PHIVOLCS to issue a tsunami alert, with the first tsunami waves expected to arrive between 10:37 p.m. and 11:59 p.m. on Saturday.

Davao

In Davao City, where Intensity V was recorded, several establishments and structures were also found having cracks after the quake, according to Davao CDRRMO operations assistant and information officer Ezzra James Fernandez.

He said the southbound part of the Bolton Bridge was also temporarily closed due to major cracks. Several overpasses in the city also sustained cracks.

“May iilang mga establishments na nakitaan ng major cracks, such as itong mosque na located at Isla Verde, kung saan may na-identify na major crack ang building. Iilan sa mga residente, pina-evacuate namin sa kanilang barangay gym,” he said in an interview on Super Radyo dzBB.

(There are a few establishments that have been found to have major cracks, such as a mosque located in Isla Verde, where a major crack was found in the building. We evacuated some of the residents to their barangay gym.)

A house which was made of light materials was also damaged in Davao City, affecting seven individuals or two families.

He said one man was injured due to the earthquake.

Meanwhile, in Tagum City, Davao del Norte, a mother reportedly died after a wall of a collapsed house fell over her.

Her husband and child also sustained injuries.

Power outage

Office of Civil Defense (OCD)-Caraga information officer Jayvee Gustilo said in a Super Radyo dzBB interview that there was a blackout in Butuan but it was restored at 3 a.m.

The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) also said that power supply that was interrupted in some areas in the Caraga Region has already gone back to normal.

Airports

Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) spokesperson Eric Apolonio, meanwhile, said that some airports in Mindanao recorded “very minor” damage, based on initial reports.

“‘Yung initial report kagabi, wala naman masyadong damages… Ang airports sa Butuan, Surigao, Siargao, Tandag, and Bislig, ina-assess pa nila pero based on initial info, negative naman sa mga major damages,” he said in an interview on Super Radyo dzBB.

(Based on the initial report last night, there wasn't much damage... The airports in Butuan, Surigao, Siargao, Tandag, and Bislig are still being assessed, but based on initial info,they are negative for major damages.)

With this, Apolonio said no canceled flights were reported, so far. He advised passengers to coordinate with their airlines to know the status of their flights.

“Ngayong umaga, ia-assess nila, titignan nila para malaman kung merong foreign object debris doon sa runways dahil delikado po ‘yan. Titignan kung may mga cracks at dedesisyunan nila kung itutuloy o magkakaron ng flight cancelation,” he said.

(This morning, runways will be assessed to determine if there is foreign object debris because that is dangerous. Authorities will check if there are cracks and they will decide whether to continue or have flight cancellations.)

Aftershocks following the magnitude 7.4 earthquake reached almost 200 as of 2 a.m. Sunday. —KG, GMA Integrated News