CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (MindaNews / 24 Sept) – For fear of aftershocks, residents of Wao town in Lanao del Sur spent the cold Sunday night outside their homes.
Wao Disaster Risk Reduction Management Chief Francis Garcia said patients from the Wao District Hospital have also spent Sunday night sleeping in tents set up outside the facility.
“Many residents are bracing for the deadly aftershocks and because most houses and buildings here are damaged, they have decided to sleep outside for their safety,” Garcia said.
A series of earthquakes ranging from magnitude 3.9 to 5.4 struck the town of Lanao del Sur and most of southern Bukidnon Sunday dawn.
The quakes also rattled nearby Kalilangan town, Bukidnon, intensity 6; Cagayan de Oro, intensity 5; and Valencia City at intensity 4.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said the series of earthquakes on Sunday dawn are aftershocks of the magnitude 6.0 quake that hit Wao town last April 12.
Garcia said at least nine barangays in Wao have filed reports that 452 houses have been partially damaged while 31 were totally destroyed.
He said the quakes have made most of the barangay poblacion inhabitable with all buildings either have collapsed or damaged.
Garcia said five persons were reported injured due to falling debris.
“My impression initially that we took a worst hit compared to the April 12 quake,” he said.
The Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao will be sending a team to Wao to assess the needs of the municipality.
ARMM information officer Myrna Jo Henry said they will also send relief convoy on Monday. (Froilan Gallardo / MindaNews)
