‘No more signs of life’
Credit to Author: DEMPSEY REYES| Date: Thu, 25 Apr 2019 16:18:54 +0000
Searchers not giving up on recovering victims
Hope has faded for 14 persons believed trapped under a Pampanga supermarket that collapsed during Monday’s earthquake, with the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) saying rescuers can “no longer sense any signs of life.”
NDRRMC spokesman Edgar Posadas made this admission on Thursday, but said search operations at the Chuzon Supermarket in Porac town would continue until all victims were recovered.
Military authorities have said that nine survived the building’s collapse.
“Unfortunately, there are no more [signs of life] per advise from experts, per life detectors,” Posadas told reporters.
“[B]ut you know every technology has its own pitfalls … [and] if that will be technically asked, we are using all equipment now and they can no longer sense any signs of life,” he added.
Responders are not giving up “even just to give people hope, the families some hope, whether it’s a good or bad result. We have to give them proper closure and in case that these missing people are still alive, we can return them to their family.”
Searchers are now using heavy equipment to clear the rubble, particularly the remains of the roof that are blocking access to a floor. Posadas said operations could continue for at least a week.
The NDRRMC also reported that 21 persons were injured during a 6.5-magnitude earthquake that hit Samar on Tuesday, just a day after the 6.1-magnitude tremor, which killed at least 16, jolted parts of Luzon.
Red Cross assistance
The Philippine Red Cross (PRC), meanwhile, said it had deployed manpower and rescue vehicles to assist in search and rescue operations at the collapsed Chuzon Supermarket.
Thirty Red Cross personnel, two ambulances and two rescue vehicles with a generator and a tower light are on site. The PRC has also provided body bags to facilitate retrieval operations.
“We deployed our assets from nearby chapters to provide additional manpower in affected areas. No one shall be left behind,” PRC Chairman Richard Gordon said in a statement.
Gordon also urged business owners to take precautionary measures to ensure safety during and after earthquakes.
The public was also advised to take earthquake drills seriously to prevent casualties and to take note of recommended measures before, during and after an earthquake.
Ayala to help rebuild
In another development, conglomerate Ayala Corp. on Thursday pledged to help rebuild 1,000 homes that were severely damaged by the Pampanga earthquake.
In a statement, Ayala said it was working with the provincial government to provide building materials to affected homeowners.
The company will deliver 20,000 galvanized iron sheets and 20,000 plywood panels to the towns of Guagua, Porac and Lubao at the request of House Speaker and Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and Gov. Lilia Pineda.
“We feel that this assistance is most critical. It is absolutely imperative that we provide shelter for these 1,000 families that lost their homes in the earthquake,” Ayala Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala was quoted as saying.
“Ayala continues to support ongoing relief operations, and our resources are available for anything that Pampanga’s community may need,” he added.
Subsidiaries Ayala Land Inc., Manila Water Company Inc. and Globe Telecom Inc., are also providing assistance to emergency response and safety teams, and are also helping with road clearing operations and the provision of water supplies and cell sites on wheels for affected residents.
WITH A REPORT FROM ANGELICA BALLESTEROS
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