Negros quake death toll jumps to 52; aftershocks continue

MANILA, Philippines - The death toll from the magnitude 6.9 earthquake that struck Negros and Cebu provinces yesterday has increased to 52, local officials said today.

Mayor Ernesto Reyes of said that the 29 missing people in the quake-triggered landslide in Barangay Planas in Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental, are already presumed dead.

Other local officials said that at least 30 houses were buried by the landslide in Barangay Planas, which took place after the magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck the several areas in Visayas before noon yesterday.

Reyes said 10 others died due to a landslide that took place along the city's national road.

Reports coming from other quake-hit areas in Negros Oriental province said showed that 13 other people were killed during the earthquake. Among these was a nine-year-old girl, who died after being pinned by a walled that collapsed in Tayasan, the town nearest to the epicenter of the strong earthquake.

Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo said the earthquake damaged eight bridges, three of which were no longer passable.

Degamo said soldiers and police are now conducting rescue and relief operations. The governor said that all classes and work in government offices remain suspended.

He added that residents have already been allowed to return to their homes. However, several residents still refused to leave open areas due to more aftershocks being recorded by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) as of this morning.

Phivolcs chief Renato Solidum said that as of noon today, more than 900 aftershocks have been recorded by the agency since the magnitude 6.9 quake took place yesterday morning.

Solidum said that the aftershocks are all below magnitude 6.5 "and there is no need to issue any tsunami alert."

The strongest of the aftershocks was measured at magnitude 6.2. It took place two kilometers away from Tayasan town at 6:10 p.m.

It was felt at Intensity 4 in Sibulan in Negros Occidental and Iloilo City; Intensity 3 in Dipolog City; Sipalay, Negros Occidental; Guimaras; Tagbilaran City; Cebu City, Dumarao and Dumanlag towns in Capiz and Oton in Iloilo province.

The strong aftershock was felt at Intensity 2 in San Jose de Buenavista town in Antique and Bugo town in Cagayan de Oro City.

The Philippines sits in the Pacific Ring of Fire with frequent earthquakes and volcanic activities.

The deadliest earthquake that hit the country happened Aug. 16, 1976 when an ensuing tsunami killed between 5,000 and 8,000 people in the Moro Gulf region in southern Philippines. with Dennis Carcamo and Xinhua