Continuous disaster response operations were conducted by the Philippine Army (PA) in Surigao del Sur yesterday after a magnitude-5.5 earthquake hit the province over the weekend.
In a statement yesterday, the Army said the Disaster Response Team (DRT) of the 36th Infantry (Valor) Battalion (36IB) was immediately activated to attend to the needs of the victims.
The quake, which occured at 4:42 a.m. Saturday, brought massive destruction in six municipalities: Carrascal, Cantilan, Madrid, Carmen, Lanuza, and Cortez.
The epicenter was recorded seven kilometers east of Carrascal, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (NDRRMO).
According to NDRRMC Executive Director Ricardo Jalad, the number of injured victims reached 52.
Of the victims, 43 were given first aid treatment, four were admitted at the Madrid District Hospital, three were referred to Adella Serra Ty Memorial Medical Center in Tandag City, while one each was treated at Lanuza Rural Unit and at a center in Surigao City.
Photos from the Army’s 36th Infantry Battalion showed soldiers carrying some wounded victims and conducting field inspection at collapsed buildings and establishments.
Two-hundred six families or 826 persons were affected by the earthquake, Jalad added.
Houses, churches, public markets, government buildings, bridges and roads were also destroyed by the earthquake.
In Cantilan, the quake caused the Bugsukan Timber bridge to slightly tilt which rendered it impassable.
In Carmen, the walls of a stall in a public market collapsed while an estimated 20-meter crack was found at the Antao National Highway. (Martin Sadongdong)
