Authorities assessing effects of 6.4 quake in Davao Oriental

DAVAO CITY – The provincial government of Davao Oriental is assessing the damage caused by a magnitude-6.4 earthquake which hit Manay Saturday afternoon.

The Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Councils (DRRMCs) in Mati City and 10 municipalities conducted a province-wide assessment of damage, and, as of Saturday afternoon, no casualty has been recorded.

However, Assistant PDRRM officer Francis Jason Bendulo said minor damage was reported in various areas, especially in Manay where cracks were detected in the walls of the district hospital.

Based on a bulletin posted by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), Saturday’s 6.4magnitude quake which occurred at 3:16 in the afternoon was tectonic in origin and had a depth of 28 kilometers.

Coastal residents have been advised to watch the coastlines, although there was no threat of any tsunami following the quake.

In Barangay Central in Tarragona town, the MDRRMO reported damages that include one partially damaged house in NASA 2, and damages on the national road along Purok Buhangin.

In Barangay Jovellar, Tarragona, a landslide took place in Purok Cambitan but the road is still passable.

In Tomoaong, one lane of a road was damaged due to fallen boulders while 10 houses were reported as partially damaged in Kamuning area.

Several houses were also damaged in Barangay Maganda and roads partially damaged due to tension cracks and moderate landslide. There was also a landslide at Tagubon area in Barangay Lucatan.

Meanwhile, in Mati, patients, who were evacuated by hospital staff Saturday from the Davao Oriental Provincial Medical Center, have returned inside the hospital facility after the engineering and the disaster teams declared it safe.

A house was reported totally damaged, while four were partially damage in an Islamic area in Magsaysay, City of Mati.

There was no damage reported in the municipalities of Banaybanay, Lupon, San Isidro, Gov. Gen. Boston, Cateel, Baganga, Caraga, although damage assessment continues in these areas.