Bukidnon quake damages hospital, schools, houses

Credit to Author: Tempo Desk| Date: Tue, 19 Nov 2019 02:56:59 +0000

By AARON RECUENCO & ELLALYN RUIZ

A hospital and at least three public schools in Valencia City were damaged when a 5.9-magnitude earthquake struck Bukidnon and other parts of Mindanao anew on Monday night.

Lt. Col. Surki Serenas, director of the Valencia City police, said two houses were also damaged in two separate barangays due to the strong tremor.

“We are continuously conducting assessment on the damage of the earthquake in the entire city,” Serenas said in a phone interview.

“As part of the safety measures, all classes in the city in all levels were suspended today (Tuesday),” he added.

Serenas said patients of the Esther Hospital were evacuated outside as part of the safety protocol. During the assessment, cracks were seen in some rooms.

Cracks were also seen in some classrooms  of Lumbo Elementary School and Sinabuagan Elementary School while the administrative building of Tongan-Tongan Elementary School incurred minor damage.

In Dangcagan town also in Bukidnon, some clasrooms of an elementary and a high school also incurred minor damage as well as the municipal hall.

There were no reported casualties based on the monitoring and assessment of the local police.

Over 100 AFTERSHOCKS

The moderately strong earthquake has generated more than 100 aftershocks, a few hours after it struck.

Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) science research assistant Paulo Sawi said the agency is continuously tracing and mapping the specific fault segment that generated the earthquake.

As of early Monday, 138 tremors have been recorded by Phivolcs. Twenty-eight of which were traced to their original source in Kadingilan, Bukidnon.

Sawi said the 5.9-magnitude earthquake and its aftershocks are most likely not related to the series of strong earthquakes that occurred in Mindanao last month.

The tremors in October, which were traced to the Cotabato fault system, is too far from the origin of the 5.9-magnitude quake, he added. However, Phivolcs is still verifying the specific source of the earthquake.

Last Monday’s tremor originated at about 8 kilometers northwest of Kadingilan town in Bukidnon. It occurred around 9:22 p.m.

It was felt as a “very strong” tremor at Intensity VI in Kadingilan, Kalilangan, Don Carlos, Maramag, Kitaotao and San Fernando, all in Bukidnon, and a “strong” tremblor at Intensity V in Damulog, Talakag and Valencia City, Bukidnon; Midsayap, Cotabato; Kidapawan City; and Marawi City.

Intensity IV or “moderately strong” tremor was registered in Impasugong and Malaybalay, Bukidnon; Malungon, Sarangani; Antipas, Cotabato and Rosario, Agusan Del Sur; Cotabato City; Davao City; Koronadal City; and Cagayan De Oro City.

Meanwhile, the quake was recorded at Intensity III as a “weak” shaking in Malitbog, Bukidnon; Tupi, South Cotabato; Manticao, Misamis Oriental; Tubod and Bacolod, Lanao De
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