San Carlos City fire razes 47 houses

CEBU, Philippines - Forty-seven houses were razed down by a fire in San Carlos City, Negros Occidental Saturday morning, with estimated damage placed at P1 million, an official said.

Superintendent Fred Trajeras, Bureau of Fire and Protection provincial chief, said the fire at Purok Edrina in Brgy. 5, started at 11:30 a.m. and was put out by responding BFP and Chamber Volunteer Fire Brigade firefighters at 1 p.m. or a little over an hour after.

Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr. led officials in distributing assistance to the 66 affected families, including P5,000 each in shelter assistance, who are now temporarily housed at an elementary school building in the barangay.

The Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council and the Philippine National Red Cross have also extended relief goods to the affected families. — Danny B. Dangcalan

5 quakes jolt Negros Occ in a day

BACOLOD CITY — Five earthquakes hit southern Negros Occidental Sunday night, with four of them in Sipalay City, and one in Hinobaan town, Phivolcs said.

The quakes hit Sipalay City on Jan. 13, magnitude 3 at 2:02 p.m.; magnitude 5 (at 9:08 p.m.); magnitude 4.1 (at 9:13 p.m.); and magnitude 3.7 (at 9:40 p.m.). The one at Hinobaan, magnitude 3.5, occurred at 9:48 p.m.

The strongest of these tremors was magnitude 5.0, with its epicenter located 51 kilometers southwest of Sipalay City, and was felt at Intensity 3 in Sipalay City and Intensity 2 in Iloilo City, Phivolcs added. (FREEMAN)