MANILA – At least three persons were killed after a 6.5 magnitude earthquake jolted Tulunan town in Cotabato Thursday morning – the same area where a strong tremor killed at least eight people and wounded more than 300 others on Tuesday.
According to the Office of Civil Defense 12, the three fatalities were from Makilala town in North Cotabato. As of this writing, the number of wounded individuals cannot be determined yet as rescue operations are still ongoing.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) a “destructive” Intensity VII shaking was felt in Tulunan; Kidapawan City; Sta. Cruz, Matanao, Bansalan, and Magsaysay in Davao del Sur. A “very strong” Intensity VI was also experienced in Tampakan, South Cotabato.
National Disaster Risk and Reduction Management Council spokesperson Mark Timbal said that the temblor felt yesterday was not an aftershock of the previous earthquakes that struck the region.
“According to our contacts in PHIVOLCS, this is a separate incident. This is not connected. It is a separate incident from Oct. 29 and 16,” Timbal said in a press conference.
He added: “What we have received here is that ipinapakita nito na high ang seismic activity doon sa area, may mga fault na present sa area. They have shown activities lately,” he added.
Meanwhile, due to the Thursday’s quake, nine people sustained injuries after Ecoland 4000 condominium building in Davao City sustained heavy damage. They were all brought to the hospital due to minor injuries. The said building is a five-story structure; its ground floor, where the carpark was located, collapsed. The front portion of the building also sustained huge cracks with some glass windows broken.
In Digos City, Davao del Sur, two workers were injured after a portion of the ceiling and canopy of a store collapsed. They were retrieved from the rubble and were rushed to the hospital.
Meanwhile, no one was trapped after Eva’s Hotel in Kidapawan City also collapsed due to the quake. Part of a wall at the Gaisano Grand Koronadal in South Cotabato was heavily damaged but no one was reportedly hurt./PN
