Hundreds of aftershocks felt after big Davao quake

MANILA, Philippines — A total of 782 aftershocks were recorded from last weekend’s magnitude 6.9 earthquake that struck Mindanao as the death toll from the tremor rose to nine yesterday.

The strongest aftershock occurred at 4:18 a.m. and registered a magnitude of 5.3, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said.

It was felt at Intensity 5 – classified as strong – in Digos City, Davao del Sur and Intensity 4 – moderately strong – in General Santos City.

Phivolcs director Renato Solidum Jr. warned aftershocks may last for weeks.

“We can still expect aftershocks for weeks but should show trend of decreasing numbers if no significant earthquakes happen,” Solidum said.

The Davao region, located in southern Mindanao, is one of the seismically active regions in the country because of the presence of several active faults, including the Tangbulan Fault, which triggered the magnitude 6.9 quake last Sunday.

“In terms of a series of strong earthquakes for several months in the same area, it may be considered unusual compared to previous events in other parts of the country. But it can be explained by the presence of several nearby faults in Cotabato, Davao del Sur and Sultan Kudarat,” Solidum said.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said the death toll increased to nine with 111 injured and one missing.

NDRRMC spokesman Mark Timbal said eight of the fatalities were in Davao region – three recovered from the collapsed grocery store in the town of Padada, one from Magsaysay town, one from Bansalan, one from Malita, one from Hagonoy and one from M’lang in North Cotabato. 

Timbal said search and recovery operations are still underway for another missing victim in Sarangani province, as search and rescue operations have already shifted to search and recovery.

The NDRRMC said a total of 111 people were injured in the quake-hit areas in Davao and Central Mindanao, which only last October were also rattled by two successive strong quakes.

It added that from the reported 20 damaged schools in Davao and Central Mindanao, the number increased to 128 yesterday with 19 facilities also damaged.

The Department of Education said it would need P250 million to repair or replace the damaged schools in the region.

Timbal said that of 31 private establishments that sustained damage in the two regions, nine were totally destroyed.

Disaster officials in Davao region, meanwhile, have provided 500 pieces of tarpaulins to serve as temporary shelters for the evacuees, two units of generator sets to the local government of Kiblawan, Davao del Sur and delivered 392 sacks of rice to the local social welfare office in the region for repacking and distribution to the quake victims.

The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) general manager Royina Garma said they will provide calamity assistance worth P5 million each to three towns in Davao del Sur that were severely hit by the quake.

Garma said P15 million in cash calamity assistance will be given to the municipalities of Matan-aw, Hagonoy and Padada.

Garma added the PCSO also issued medical assistance to the town of Padada.  – Jaime Laude, Janvic Mateo, Rainier Allan Ronda