Aftershocks rock Surigao
1 dies, scores injured as panic sweeps residents
BUTUAN CITY – A 65-year-old woman died while scores of others were injured at the height of strong aftershocks that rocked Surigao City yesterday morning, causing damage to structures and panic among residents.
The victim was identified as Socoro Cenes of Narciso corner Lopez Jaena Streets, Surigao City. She reportedly suffered cardiac arrest during the strong aftershock that registered 5.9 magnitude, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said.
Emergency rescue teams of the city disaster risk reduction and management council rushed to the scene in an effort to rescue Cenes but she had no pulse and was not breathing when they arrived.
Surigao del Norte Governor Sol F. Matugas said 25 persons were injured and admitted at the Caraga Regional Hospital in Surigao City due to minor injuries. Another victim who was retrieved from inside a
city hardware store was immediately brought to Surigao City Hospital.
The state seismic monitoring agency traced the epicenter of the quake about 13 kilometers southwest of Surigao del Norte’s capital at 8:08 a.m. yesterday. It was tectonic in origin and stemmed from a depth of 13 kilometers.
Residents in Surigao City bore its brunt at Intensity 6, Phivolcs said. Its impact also reached several areas in Southern Leyte including the municipalities of Limasawa and San Ricardo at Intensity 4 and the towns of San Juan and San Francisco at Intensity 3.
Residents in General Luna, Surigao del Norte and Ormoc City, Leyte felt the quake at Intensity 2 I. Instrumental intensities were likewise noted in Surigao City at Intensity 7 while Intensity 1 was registered in both Borongan, Eastern Samar and Palo, Leyte.
Shortly after, state seismologists reported that lighter aftershocks occurred in succession in the towns of Del Carmen and Basilisa also in the province of Surigao del Norte. They were measured at magnitudes 2.6 and 3.0 respectively with instrumental intensities in Surigao City.
A magnitude-3.2 quake happened in San Jose, Dinagat Islands as well about eight minutes past 11:00 a.m. This was followed by back-to-back temblors in Libjo and San Francisco, Surigao del Norte measuring 4.1 and 3.0 in surface wave magnitude less than an hour later.
According to Phivolcs science aide Anne de los Santos, the tremors were all considered aftershocks of the magnitude6.7 earthquake in Surigao del Norte last February 10, which was triggered by a seismic movement along the Surigao segment of the Philippine fault.
“We expect damage from the magnitude-5.9 (incident),” De los Santos told the Manila Bulletin in a phone interview. She said it was the strongest aftershock they have recorded so far since the main shock nearly a month ago.
Initially, two residential houses collapsed at corner Narciso and P. Reyes streets of Barangay Taft and Kaskag Village of Barangay Washington of this same city, Surigao City government information officer Annette P. Villaces said.
As of press time, rescue teams were still conducting disaster operations and assessment of other partially collapsed houses in Barangay Sabang and other barangays, particularly those in coastal areas of that same city, she added.
As it was a Sunday, church goers in Surigao City ran to the streets while residents who were just about to prepare breakfast also fled to higher grounds for fear of a tsunami. Guests at various hotels, inns and lodges also ran outside the buildings.
Surigao City Mayor Ernesto T. Matugas immediately deployed social welfare officers and workers to personally extend assistance to residents.
A total power blackout also hit the entire city of Surigao when the strong aftershocks struck.
“It was very strong, glasses and bottles in my house were shattered when the strong quake hit us again,” said Surigao City Vice Mayor Alfonso Casurra.