At least six dead from magnitude 7.0 earthquake: NDRRMC
The death toll due to the 7.0 magnitude earthquake rose to six while four others remained missing and 136 were injured, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported on Friday.
The NDRRMC did not provide further details about the additional fatality as it is still subject for validation.
As of 6am, the NDRRMC also reported an increase in the number of affected families reaching 19,486 or 79,260 people, of which 1,622 families or 5,819 individuals were being served inside the 26 evacuation centers in Region I and Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR).
The damage to infrastructure including the agricultural structures and equipment rose to P52,630,000. Majority of the damage to infrastructure amounting to P48,300,000 recorded due to affected roads, bridges, schools, government facilities and other structures in Ilocos, CAR and NCR.
The NDRRMC also recorded damage to agricultural infrastructure, machinery and equipment amounting to P3,880,000 and P4,500,000 damage to irrigation was also monitored.
The damaged houses are now at 1,583, of which 48 were destroyed and 1,535 were partially damaged.
The NDRRMC said electricity were restored while areas in Baguio City are still experiencing water interruption.
The Philippine Army deployed hundreds of forces to assist in the conduct of humanitarian assistance for the affected areas.
Col. Xerxes Trinidad, Army's public affairs chief, said nearly 200 troops and reservists under the 14th Regional Community Defense Group (14RCDG) of the Reserve Command, Philippine Army brought aid for families affected by the quake in Abra on July 28.
"The troops and reservists are working ‘round the clock to haul essential supplies at the Department of Social Welfare and Development compound at Zone 7, Bangued, Abra. The supplies will be distributed to families in quake-stricken communities in Abra, the epicenter of the magnitude-7 quake that left billions of pesos worth of infrastructure and property damage in Northern Luzon," he said.
"Army units in Northern Luzon bolstered their standby forces amid strong aftershocks. Troops and reservists, along with government responders and other volunteers, also conducted clearing landslide-hit roads in affected areas on top of the humanitarian assistance and disaster response missions," he added. Robina Asido/DMS
