A MAGNITUDE 6.6 earthquake hit Masbate yesterday morning, leaving a retired police colonel dead, at least 25 injured, and a number of structures and infrastructure damaged based on initial reports.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said the quake, which occurred at 8:03 a.m., was tectonic in origin and had a dept of 21 km. Its epicenter was some 7 km southeast of Cataingan town in Masbate.
Phivolcs director Renato Solidum said Cataingan has been the epicenter of lower magnitude earthquakes in the past days.
He also said aftershocks are expected but discounted the possibility of a tsunami.
The Office of Civil Defense-Bicol Region said 25 were injured, with 22 of them from Palanas town, two in Pio V. Corpuz town, and one in Uson town in Masbate.
The Masbate provincial police office said 29 were injured — 18 from Calaitan, 10 from Palanas and one from Pio V. Corpuz. It said the injured included five children aged from five to nine year. It placed the initial cost of damage to P31.8 million.
Phivolcs said the quake was felt at Intensity 7 in Cataingan; Intensity 5 in Masbate City, and Almagro and Tagapul-an towns in Samar; Intensity 4 in Palanas and San Jacinto towns in Masbate, Sorsogon City in Sorsogon, Legazpi City in Albay,
San Andres town in Quezon, Mapanas and Palapag towns in Northern Samar, Sagay City in Negros Occidental, and the towns of Barugo, Dagami, Dulag, Julita, La Paz, Palo, and Tanauan towns in Leyte.
Intensity 3 shaking was reported in Baybay City and Isabel, Javier, and Kananga towns in Leyte; Ormoc City in Leyte; Mulanay town in Quezon; and Iloilo City in Iloilo.
Some towns in Quezon, Capiz, Antique, Aklan, and Negros Oriental felt the quake at Intensity 1 or 2.
The fatality was identified as retired police colonel Gilbert Sauro, a resident of Sitio Alimango, Barangay Concepcion in Cataingan town.
Masbate police director Col. Joriz Cantoria said Sauro died after his house collapsed.
The OCD-Bicol said also damaged were the Cataingan Astrodome, Cataingan Municipal College, Cataingan District Hospital, the concrete road and docking area of Cataingan Port, Public Attorney’s Office building, Old and New Cataingan Public Market and Cataingan police station.
It said patients of the damaged Cataingan District Hospital were evacuated outside the facility as a precautionary measure.
Masbate provincial government spokesman Jun Bagahilog said some concrete roads were damaged and power interruptions were reported in some areas after the quake. He said the entire province has electricity as of noon yesterday.
Philippine Coast Guard spokesman Commodore Armand Balilo said sea travel was suspended after the pavement of the Cataingan port sustained cracks. After a safety inspection, the port’s operation resumed.
National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council spokesman Mark Timbal said many houses made of light materials and some concrete houses and structures were damaged.
Timbal said the Office of Civil Defense-Bicol Region, the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, and the Philippine Air Force are jointly conducting an aerial assessment on the affected areas.
“I can’t say it (damage) is massive but the description initially given was that houses made of of light materials were damaged. Concrete houses and concrete structures also sustained damage, especially in areas near the epicenter,” Timbal said.
