DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 18 November) – Several infrastructures including schools in Davao Region were damaged following a powerful earthquake with epicenter in Sarangani, Davao Occidental that affected parts of southern Mindanao on Friday afternoon, according to the Office of the Civil Defense (OCD)-Davao.
Karlo Alexie C. Puerto, information officer II of OCD-Davao, said the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC) has raised the alert status of its Emergency Operations Center to “Red Alert” to intensify monitoring and mobilization of resources in earthquake-affected communities.
He said all local DRRMC offices have been directed to closely monitor their areas of responsibility and coordinate with the RDRRMC-Davao for immediate response actions.
He added that the damaged infrastructures included Maghanoy Elementary School in Sarangani and minor cracks on some school buildings that are still being verified in Jose Abad Santos in Davao Occidental.
He said partially damaged houses were also reported such as five in Barangay San Isidro, two in Barangay Caburan Small, and one in Barangay Sugal in Jose Abad Santos in Davao Occidental, and one in Barangay Langay in Lupon, Davao Oriental.
He said four families were evacuated in Barangay Patulang, Jose Abad Santos.
In Davao City, the structures that suffered minor cracks included the Lingap Toril Building in Barangay Toril, Langub Elementary and High School in Barangay Langub, Rosario Building in Barangay Ma-a, barangay hall of Barangay Tagluno, and a bridge near Amparo Homes in Barangay Ilang.
He said the pedestrian bridge in Barangay Matina Crossing was cordoned off after new cracks were observed following the tremor.
The crane on the rooftop of the high-rise condominium tower The Paragon Davao of Cebu Landmasters in Barangay 76-A collapsed.
No casualty was reported following the collapse, but 174 individuals living near the condominium were evacuated to the barangay hall at Purok 46.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismolog initially reported the tremor with a magnitude of 7.2 at 4:14 p.m., but subsequently changed it to magnitude 6.8. (Antonio L. Colina IV/MindaNews)
