AT A GLANCE
DEATH TOLL: 8MISSING: 2INJURED: 192HOUSES TOTALLY DAMAGED: 1,483INFRASTRUCTURES DAMAGED: 58
The death toll following the 6.9-magnitude earthquake that rocked several towns in Davao del Sur on Sunday has climbed to eight.
Based on the report from the Police Regional Office (PRO) 11 as of 10:30 am on Tuesday, three casualties were recorded in the town of Padada, two in Matanao, one in Bansalan, one in Magsaysay, and one in Hagonoy.
The three fatalities in Padada were retrieved from the collapsed South Green Marketing Building identified as Elsa Ababon, Evangeline Artiaga and Emily Biloy, 31 years old and a resident of McKinley, Sulop, Davao del Sur. There were also reported two missing persons in Padada.
The two identified casualties in Matanao were six-year-old Cherbel Chen Gador and a bed-ridden woman named Juliana Cagas.
In Magsaysay, 63-year-old farmer Fernando Balitayo died after suffering a heart attack while in his farm at the height of the temblor.
Another elerdly who died after suffering cardiac arrest was 80-year-old Carlito Ibon of Balutakay, Hagonoy.
In Bansalan, Elias Degamon, 60, was reported dead in New Clarin.
The number of injured in Sunday’s earthquake was also reported to have gone up to 192, most of them in Davao del Sur.
PRO 11 also recorded 1,483 houses and 58 infrastructures in the province that were totally damaged.
The Philippine News Agency reported that Davao City’s Rescue 911’s Urban Search And Rescue (USAR) and the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) Search and Rescue Unit (SRU) retrieved Monday night another cadaver out of the collapsed three-story commercial building in Padada town, Davao del Sur.
The body of Emily Gallegos (other reports refer to the victim as Emily Biloy) of Barangay McKinley, Sulop, Davao del Sur was found under the debris near the entrance of South Green Commercial Building at around 9 p.m.
Gallegos was named in local media reports who managed to send a text message to her relatives and friends at about 4 a.m. on Monday, telling them she was with four other trapped shoppers inside the building.
The text message prompted Mayor Pedro Caminero and other local officials to seek the help of Mayor Sara Z. Duterte to send Rescue 911, known for its expertise in extracting victims from collapsed structures.
The search and rescue operations immediately started hours after the 6.9 magnitude earthquake struck the town, Caminero said.
However, the series of strong aftershocks following the main temblor ranging from 2.1 to 5.3 in magnitude, accompanied by heavy rains, delayed the rescue attempt, which was even suspended late Sunday night due to structure’s instability.
Rescuers resumed operation early morning on Monday that led to the recovery of two female cadavers.
Caminero identified the victims as Evangeline Artiaga of Barangay Tanwalang of the neighboring Sulop town; and Elsa Ababon of NCO District of Poblacion Padada. (with reports from PNA)
