MALACAÑANG advised Saturday residents of Surigao City to remain alert for potential aftershocks from Friday night’s 6.7 magnitude earthquake.
“We advise our people to continue to be alert for aftershocks,” Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said in a statement.
A magnitude 6.7 earthquake struck Surigao City, Surigao del Norte at 10:03 p.m. last Friday, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology.
A report by Caraga Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council showed that three people, including a four-year-old boy, were confirmed dead while about 87 were injured.
A bridge reportedly collapsed, some roads were not passable, and several houses and portions of Surigao City Trade School were damaged.
Andanar said the reported casualties, damage to properties, and injuries are now undergoing validation.
He also confirmed that there is no electricity in Surigao City to date.
"Concerned officials are now in Surigao City to conduct monitoring and damaged assessment. Rescue operations are ongoing with Quick Response Team already mobilized. Local disaster and local social welfare officials have been instructed to monitor closely the situation," Andanar said.
Andanar said the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) regional office prepositioned 8,258 family food packs to remote areas while the agency’s regional warehouse had a stockpile of 14,637 family packs.
He added that the DSWD field office had a standby fund amounting to P2,895,921.91. (SunStar Philippines)