SURIGAO CITY (MindaNews / 7 Sept) – Caraga Region has sustained P58 million more in damages as a result of the Aug. 31 earthquake, aside from the P18 million earlier reported by the city government.
Dr. Blanche T. Gobenchong, regional director of the Office of Civil Defense, said the quake damaged several infrastructures in Surigao del Norte’s 14 towns, recording a total loss of P51.9 million.
San Francisco town incurred the single biggest damage when the P50-million bridge linking it to Malimono town collapsed.
In Surigao del Sur, road pavements in Magroyong in San Miguel town sustained cracks that measured at least 12 inches deep.
The OCD report said the province suffered P6.8 in total damages, P5.5 million of which came from the damaged road.
Cracks on structures have been observed in at least three bridges in Lingig and Madrid towns, including shattered slabs in Marihatag, all in Surigao del Sur.
In Dinagat, minor cracks have been observed in two bridges in the town of San Jose.
The Department of Public Works and Highways in Caraga Region said it has started conducting damage assessments on all roads and bridges and installed warning devices on affected areas.
All in all, OCD-Caraga said the region suffered P58.7 million.
Gobenchong said that the damage report and the amount of losses will still have to be reassessed as these are subject for validation.
Gobenchong said that the damage in Surigao City was not included in the report because the city’s disaster risk reduction management office has not yet submitted a report to the Department of Interior and Local Government.
But an initial estimate by the city engineering office said that the city suffered damage of about P18 million with the affected private and public infrastructures. (Roel N. Catoto / MindaNews)