THE Eastern Mindanao Command (Eastmincom) has alerted all its units to be ready to extend help after the earthquake that rocked Surigao City and Surigao del Norte, including other areas in Mindanao on Friday evening.
Eastmincom public information officer Major Ezra Balagtey said the command has already directed the disaster units from air force, army and navy to include the military engineers to prepare.
Balagtey said their troops in the Army’s 402nd Infantry Brigade were deployed in Surigao City and Surigao del Norte as initial response in the disaster, while others were on standby for likely aftershocks.
He said being the lead agency in Search Rescue and Retrieval (SRR), which falls under thematic area disaster response, the Eastmincomalso directed all its units to coordinate with the Local Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) has recorded 89 aftershocks from the earthquake of tectonic origin as of 5 a.m. Saturday.
According to Phivolcs science research assistant Paulo Sawi, these aftershocks’ magnitudes ranged from 2.0 to 3.9. He added that the agency expects forthcoming aftershocks to be of lesser magnitude and not destructive.
Phivolcs latest data showed that the 10:03 p.m. earthquake struck 14 km. north, 78 degrees west of Surigao City at a depth of 11 km.
The earthquake was felt at intensity 6 in Surigao City and Pintuyan, Southern Leyte; intensity 5 in Mandaue City, San Ricardo, Limasawa and San Francisco, Southern Leyte; intensity 4 in Hinunangan in Southern Leyte and Butuan City.
Meanwhile, intensity 3 was felt in Hibok-Hibok, Camiguin, Tolosa and Tacloban, Leyte, Bislig, Gingoog City, Misamis Oriental, and intensity 2 in Cagayan de Oro City, Talocogon City, Agusandel Sur, Dumaguete City and Cebu City.
Six persons reportedly died while 200 others were injured after a 6.7 magnitude earthquake struck in Caraga Region and nearby areas late Friday evening.